[ Studio 02 — Brand Identity ]

A logo isn't an identity. It's a sticker.

Identity is the system that makes your logo, type, color, motion, photography, and voice all reinforce a single bet. Most agencies ship a logomark and a Figma file and call it identity. We ship a system the team can build inside of without checking back every week.

Get an audit Book a call from $45–90K · 5–8 weeks
What is brand identity?

Brand identity is the visual and motion system through which a brand expresses its positioning across every surface — logo, type, color, motion, photography, illustration, iconography, and a component library used by design and engineering. A modern identity engagement does not stop at a logomark; it produces design tokens (CSS variables for engineering parity with Figma), motion principles documented as easing / duration / scroll patterns, six worked applications (homepage, ad creative, packaging, deck, OG image, app screen), and a working component library the team builds inside of. The deliverable is a system, not a glossy guidelines PDF — the test is whether the team can ship new surfaces in week 8 without re-asking the studio. Engagement length is typically 5–8 weeks.

[ The problem ]

What's broken in most identity systems

Logo-only delivery

Three logo lockups, a color palette, a font choice, and that's the deliverable. The first time the team builds an OG image or a packaging mock, the system breaks.

Color and type chosen in isolation

Color picked by mood. Type picked by trend. Neither tested against actual application — landing page hero, product packaging, ad creative, paid social ratios.

No motion principles

Brands ship in motion (scroll, hover, video, transitions) and most identity systems don't address motion at all. The site feels disconnected from the deck the day it ships.

Guidelines treated as decoration, not contract

Guidelines doc is a 60-page PDF nobody reads. The fix is a working component library + decision tree the team uses when building, not a glossy PDF the team admires.

[ What we do ]

What we run

Logomark + wordmark + supporting marks

Type system — display, body, mono, fallback hierarchy

Color system — primary, surface, semantic, accessibility-tested

Motion principles — easing, duration, scroll, hover, transition

Photography + illustration direction — not stock cliches

Iconography system

Component library — buttons, cards, forms, navigation

Application: web, packaging, social, sales collateral, decks

[ How we run it ]

Six weeks. Built to be built inside of.

01

Audit + territory

Visual audit of category. Three distinct territories proposed — not three flavors of the same direction. We force the trade-off in week 1.

02

Core system

Logo, type, color, motion principles. Each chosen against tested application — paid social, landing hero, packaging, deck. No decorative selections.

03

Application stress-test

We build six surfaces in the system (homepage, ad, packaging, deck, OG image, app screen) before we sign off. If the system breaks at week 4, we know.

04

Working library

Component library in Figma. Decision tree for the team. Tokenised CSS variables for engineering. Guidelines doc behind all of it.

[ Deliverables ]

What lands in your inbox.

  • Logomark, wordmark, alternates, mono variants
  • Type system + licensing handled
  • Color tokens — design + engineering parity (Figma + CSS variables)
  • Motion principles doc + Lottie/CSS reference clips
  • Photography / illustration direction with reference shoots
  • Iconography library (16 / 24 / 32 / 48px)
  • Component library in Figma — buttons, cards, forms, nav, hero patterns
  • Six worked applications (web, ad, packaging, deck, OG, app)
  • Brand guidelines (working doc, not glossy PDF)
[ Proof ]

Where this worked.

DTC · Beauty · $9M GMV (illustrative)

Identity system + tokens parity with engineering

  • Logo, type, color, motion principles tested against six application surfaces before sign-off
  • Design tokens shipped as CSS variables — engineering and design parity on day one
  • In-house team shipped packaging, OG, and 4 ad variants in weeks 9–12 without studio support
B2B SaaS · Series-A · $4M ARR (illustrative)

Repositioning identity for vertical entry

  • Three distinct territories presented in week 1 — trade-off forced, not papered over
  • Component library in Figma + Storybook integration — front-end shipped in 6 weeks
  • Performance budget locked at LCP <2.5s, INP <200ms before the first page mock
[ FAQ ]

Questions we actually get asked.

Do you handle production or just design?

We design and ship working tokens (Figma + CSS variables, motion specs). Production for packaging, video, photography, and merchandise sits with our partners or yours — we project-manage either way.

What if we already have a logo we love?

Then the engagement is a system around it, not a redraw. We'll tell you honestly if the logo is the constraint blocking the system; we don't redraw to bill.

Can you collaborate with our existing design team?

Yes — most engagements pair us with an in-house team. We bring the system; the in-house team carries it forward and applies it ongoing.

How do you price typeface licensing?

Listed separately at-cost. We never mark up typeface licenses. If a custom typeface is in scope, we scope it as its own line.