A
Antarctica. Yes, my work has been there. No, I have not. Yet. Still counts, and I bring it up more often than strictly necessary.
B
Browser tabs. There are always at least 27 open. Some are research. Some are references. Some are emotional support tabs I refuse to close.
C
Chile. Reñaca is my favourite place on Earth, apparently, judging by how often I return. -32.960660, -71.547484 in case you need a break.
D
Deadlines. I love them. I respect them. I tend to do my best work suspiciously close to them. And I sure as hell need to get paid before them.
E
Elvis. He was the sweetest boy I’ve ever known. Kind in a way that makes you rethink everything. He moved slowly and loved calmly. We miss him.
F
Fixer. The closest thing I have to a proper title. Not in a mysterious trench-coat way. In a “call me when it actually matters” way.
G
Good taste. Very expensive to maintain. Especially when a cute café and an iced matcha latte are involved.
H
Hello Kitty-like branding fantasies. Completely at odds with the polished, restrained work I’m usually known for. Still spiritually important.
I
Imperfection. The underrated engine behind every successful brand, and everyone who understands they’ll never feel ready until they’re already late.
J
Joy. Unreasonably important. A brand can’t just work well. It has to feel liveable.
K
Keys. I once lost mine. The quote to replace them was so high my brain immediately remembered where I left them. So yes, I can work under pressure.
L
Lottie. Charlotte is a menace. She will steal an entire loaf of bread and take one bite from every slice, and leave the crime scene with no remorse.
M
Messages. I can redesign an entire site in one sitting and still take three days to answer one. I contain multitudes. But I will always get back to you by Friday.
N
Noise. I hate it. Which makes it funny that I chose a career built on launches, emails, logistics, and approximately one thousand active thoughts.
O
Obsession. The good kind. I think. The one that makes you find the solution to your problems at 2am but choose to fix it only in the morning.
P
Product design. My degree. Also one of the reasons I think in structure, material, function, and systems instead of just visuals.
Q
Questions. If I ask a lot, it’s not small talk. It’s how I get to the actual problem. Kinda necessary for fixing it.
R
Random. Sometimes you have to trust Spotify to do the heavy lifting. I can’t carry everything. One area has to give.
S
Switzerland. It is indeed very beautiful and has a decent temperature even in the summer. Still not Chile though.
T
Tobias. The reason this studio exists. He is convinced every walk is the best thing that has ever happened. He is right.
U
Uncomplicated. Most things don’t need more layers, more assets, more anything. They need fewer things, done properly.
V
Version control. You will see V1, V2, V3. If something new appears, we can discuss a V4. After that, we’re restarting.
W
Web. Where everything comes together. Or falls apart. Ideally the first one. Which is exactly why I love it.
X
Xylography. The art of carving into wood and calling it a print. I don’t practice it, but I respect the commitment.
Y
Yes. I will question things. I will push back. I will absolutely make you explain your logic at least once. But every now and then, I might actually say, “yes, sir.”
Z
Zero fluff. If it doesn’t help, I won't bother doing it. Or zebras. I like zebras. They remind me that black and white is not always basic.