Alvaro Nuevo is a Spanish-born creative currently in Tokyo, Japan. He runs Nuevo.Tokyo, a creative and research agency that conceptualizes, rejuvenates, and invents digital products.

Joe Ishii is from Japan and now resides in San Francisco, US. A digital designer by training, he is the CEO and Chief Designer of Studio.Design, a web builder backed by IDEO/D4V where anyone can craft designer-quality landing pages.

On one September afternoon, Alvaro and Joe sat down to look back on the branding project they collaborated on.

Studio began eight years ago as a prototyping tool in a small, tucked-away office in Shibuya. Its early users were design engineers skilled in UI design and programming. Now, it has evolved into a platform for anyone to build their online presence, supporting users from enterprise marketing teams in Japan to solo agencies in San Francisco.

“Letting anyone who seeks to create craft what they imagine” has always been a vision kept close to heart at Studio. To keep inspiring people from all walks of life to unleash their creative potential, the brand must share a unique story that resonates with a broader audience.

What sets the company apart, it turns out, has always been right in front of them. Looking back, their product and marketing decisions have always been drawn from Japanese aesthetics—so inherently present within Japan, yet mesmerizingly captivating to those beyond its shores.

Ma, Tatami, Iki

To the Studio team, Japanese aesthetics is made up of three pillars.

• Pillar 1 is the idea of “ma (間)”, or emptiness. In Japanese gardens, items are purposely removed to draw focus and attention to the centerpiece. Thoughtful reduction adds strength.

• Pillar 2 is the idea of “tatami (畳)”, or modularity. Common in Japanese construction—from “sashimono (指物)” Japanese joints to straw mats in Japanese rooms—each component is designed to fit well with others.

• Pillar 3 is the idea of “iki (粋)”, or refinement. Instead of self-promotion, restraint is valued. It is less about the individual, but more about the team or community.

Shaping The Brand DNA

Working with Alvaro, Japanese aesthetics is brought home in the evolved brand toolkit. The team started on the brand DNA as a north star.

“We articulated a core concept, one where Studio steps back with restraint, letting the creator fit in and take center stage”, said Joe. Alvaro echoed, “Yes, when a brand shouts about itself, people get bored fast. On the flip side, people and community are timeless, because people like to learn from other people. Therefore, we made a conscious decision for the Studio brand to tell the stories of its community, which is a way to build and shape the brand for the future.” “Indeed. Years ago, I remember seeing a sign in IDEO’s office—‘Make others successful.’ We share the same philosophy. That’s why, as you can see in our showcase, we try to feature not just world-known but also aspiring creators. At Studio, we are here to give you the tools and resources to empower your creative journey,” said Joe.

Developing The Brand Toolkit

This brand DNA now comes to life across various parts of the brand toolkit.

Take the updated logo for example, now brought into 3D space from its previous flat design. When you look closely, the new dimension contains three layers. “The bottom layer is us—Studio—there to provide room for creators to express. The middle layer is the new home for creators to feel empowered and craft any idea they envision for their site. The top layer is the resulting site masterpiece. We call this new visual identity ‘the vessel”, described Joe.

Moving onto the brand color palette, beginning with the logomark, you will see the company’s assets now take on more monochromatic tones. When a creator’s work is featured, the logo and other parts of the brand toolkit will take on the work’s color tones, as a celebration of the work. “Our identity is never complete without the creator’s work”, continued Joe.

Finally, as part of the new visual language, the team questioned what makes up the logo and distilled it to its essence. “When you look again, the unique 45-degree angle in the logo embodies progress and is a symbol of breakthroughs”, Joe remarked. “The team really identifies with this motif”, added Alvaro. This is a distinct motif that will be harmoniously built into future marketing collateral. “It is something we want to own”, Joe concluded.

The updated logo, palette, and visual language are an extension of Studio’s brand DNA and proudly embody the ideas of “ma(間),” “tatami(畳)” and “iki(粋)” in their minimalism, adaptability, and refined traits.

Joe and Alvaro kicked off this project in March this year, and through a series of workshops, they uncovered insights that would ultimately shape the project’s direction.

Understanding Itself

“It all began with self-reflection”, said Alvaro. Through structured questions, the duo dug deep into what informs the product, design, and marketing decisions at Studio. They slowly came to realize Japanese aesthetics have always been a north star the team returns to when faced with paralyzing choices. “Say, when we think about our UI, ‘less is more’ just felt natural in our gut”, remembered Joe. With Japanese aesthetics, they pushed each other to think hard beyond the abstract. They finally verbalized with three pillars—“ma (間)”, “tatami (畳)”, and “iki (粋).” These pillars have always influenced, and will continue to influence, the way Studio operates.

Understanding Competitors

“Then came time for understanding where and how Studio stands relative to others in the playing field”, continued Alvaro. The team printed out messaging and social media posts from competitors big and small. And the duo began seeing a pattern. All of the competitors spend a lot of time talking about themselves. It is always about their latest feature, their latest promotion, or the latest podcast their company exec appeared on. Competitors made it about “them.”

Understanding The Community

Last but certainly not least, they conducted deep dives to understand their users. While they each look for different things, there is one common thread. Among experienced and aspiring creators, they are all seeking a place that lets them naturally unleash their creativity. Users want a community where they can be their best selves; they don’t want to be marketed a new tool.

Fusing Insights

Bridging these insights from diverse viewpoints, the duo drafted the brand DNA—one not about self-promotion, but a celebration of the user. It’s a narrative that breaks away from Silicon Valley’s boastful norms, while staying authentic to its Japanese heritage in a way that intrigues. In other words, it’s a unique story that resonates with a broad audience—what the duo set out to achieve.

“Working with Joe has been a blessing because he is both a CEO and a designer. It is not a ‘for’ relationship, but a ‘with’ relationship where we push each other to bring out our best”, described Alvaro. He then went on to describe how the duo jammed side-by-side on Figma, across two different time zones between San Francisco and Tokyo, in extending the brand DNA to the other parts of the brand toolkit.

“Yes, it was fun working with Alvaro—even when it is 1 AM in San Francisco”, laughed Joe.

This new toolkit will roll out on October 1, 2024.

“But it definitely does not end here,” marked Joe. “We can’t wait to hear what the community thinks, and grow it to be something meaningful to them. Every day is Day 1, or launch day.”

“Yes, the way we approached this brand toolkit—we didn’t create rigid rules, but guided a set of modular principles that the team can evolve,” echoed Alvaro.

Be A Part Of It

The new Studio brand is not about Studio. Guided by Japanese aesthetics, the company is making it about you. They want to make you—the creator—successful. If this is your passion, go and experience a brand-new way to craft a web presence. “Chat me up on your thoughts. Let’s shape the future of web design together. See you on studio.design” said Joe.