Notes on practice,
not opinion pieces.
Short essays from the studio on how we work — written by the people doing the work, edited lightly, published when there is something worth saying. We do not write to a calendar.
Designing against the grain of your category
Most categories share a visual language. Some of that is signal — a reassurance that you are in the right shop. Most of it is laziness. Knowing the difference is half the job.
By Iria Cordeiro, Strategy leadThe hidden cost of discovery theatre
Workshops, miro boards, persona spreads, "north star" diagrams. A lot of agency discovery is performance. We charge for actual discovery instead — and our clients can tell the difference.
By Mateo Rivas, ProducerThree rules for motion on the web
Motion is the easiest thing to do badly on a website. Three rules that keep us out of trouble.
By Lúa Penedo, Motion leadWhy we stopped pitching for free
Speculative pitches sound like an investment in growth. They are usually an investment in the wrong clients.
By Iria Cordeiro, Strategy leadA quiet defence of the grid
Grids went out of fashion the moment everyone could afford to ignore them. Here is why we still draw them first.
By Diego Ferradás, Design lead