“The best results arrive from solid and trustful relationships.” Atelier Dyakova on brand building

Founded by award-winning art director and designer Sonya Dyakova, Atelier Dyakova is a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Deptford, London. Despite having a small team, they have worked on a huge variety of projects – on and off the page – that range from exhibition publications to bespoke typefaces and websites. Here, Dyakova talks us through some of the studio’s work, whilst also reflecting on what it takes to run a studio.

PT Hi Sonya, how has your year been going so far? 

SD It has been an exciting year – we are collaborating and connecting with new associates and organisations we admire.

PT For those unfamiliar, how would you describe Atelier Dyakova and its overall ethos? 

SD Atelier Dyakova is a visual communication studio based in London. The atelier specialises in art direction and design for brands, art galleries, artists and cultural institutions. We produce brand identities, websites, publications, packaging, and exhibitions. Bespoke typography design is also something that we do and have been employing more recently. 

Our approach is firmly rooted in conceptual and typographic experimentation. We are passionate about tactility and attention to detail. The studio’s creative work stems from in-depth research and commitment to creating beautiful, meaningful, and memorable work.

Projects flourish when we keep learning something new.

PT And how do you think this is reflected in your work and the clients you collaborate with?

SD Our attention to detail and visual sensibility attracts clients with similar vision. It is rewarding when there is a sense of common interests. It leads to successful outcomes. Often, people notice books we designed and commission a completely new work, such as an identity. It’s always so nice when people notice little details we embed into the work; it’s like a secret language we share.

PT What project would you say best encapsulates the studio’s DNA?

SD Branding projects like Lemaire and Mad et Len reflect the studio’s ideas and approach to materials, tactility and craftsmanship. We found the process of working with both brands very inspiring and encouraging. The best results arrive from solid and trustful relationships – we relish projects where the client dares to create something unique. 

Both projects allowed us to research different processes and methods, which we translated into our own exploration of typography, signage, and stationery together with various digital assets. We composed a whole new visual universe for them, evoking the essence of the brands.

The projects flourish when we keep learning something new and challenge ourselves, whether it comes to bespoke type design (Mad et Len), animation (Archizoom) or spacial design (Barbican Art Centre).

PT What have been the biggest changes to the studio since it was first founded?

SD Hiring a studio manager would be one of them. Having someone to help run the studio allows me more creative time with the design team. 

PT Is running a design studio everything you expected it to be?

SD I was chuckling to myself when I read this question because yeah – I had no idea how exhausting this would be – oh the glamour of owning a small business that specialises in art and culture! When I started my own studio, I had zero preconceptions and always had the attitude of ‘I'll see how it goes.’ In a way, I feel this is how we are growing: slow and steady, nothing dramatic – and I like it just fine.

PT What’s it like being set up as a business in Deptford, rather than central London?

SD Deptford suits us well, I like being on the fringe, the vibe is right – it’s vibrant, rough around the edges at times. I can’t see myself somewhere in Chelsea or Mayfair even if I could afford the rent. I walk to work and this is great, it gives me a chance to move and listen to my audiobooks or music. It’s a way to air my mind before I get home.

PT As a small team, how do you typically balance the workload between you?

SD It works well between us. Our approach is very collaborative: we often discuss projects with the whole team. We help each other – if one of us is away, the other person can take over for a short while. But typically, the designer who leads the projects ideally stays with it until it is wrapped up, so there is a sense of continuity and responsibility.

Building a brand identity is like composing a soundtrack for a film.

PT Can you tell us about your branding work? What have you been working on lately?

SD In the last few years, we had the opportunity to work with many international brands by helping them define and create their visual identities. Building a brand identity is like composing a soundtrack for a film. You must find ways to touch on the same themes, while still introducing variations and inventive ways to create an atmosphere – in our case, the rich universe of a brand.

We are lucky to have a wide selection of clients ranging from cultural institutions to more commercial brands. This year, we have completed the identity for galleries such as Galerie Molitor in Berlin and The Approach in London. In our work, we were echoing the ethos and ideas behind the galleries, which we reflect in their logos, website and stationery. We also worked with Neighbour, a fashion boutique in Vancouver and independent designers like Tove and Gerbase. 

PT How do you familiarise yourself with a brand? How do you ensure that there’s a good understanding of their needs and values? 

SD Everything begins with a conversation. We really value the dialogue through which we establish the project’s requirements and identify the specific design challenges. Together, we answer some basic questions: who are you? What do you want to say? What qualities do you want to portray? What is the purpose or mission of your brand? What are the unique characteristics of the company? Who is your audience?

We enjoy and believe in research as a root, from which to develop and build up the project and create the brand identity. We dedicate time to look for references that might lead to appropriate, meaningful, and story-forward solutions. Most importantly, we observe and compose critical ideas, listen to our client’s feedback, refine further, and, bit by bit, approach the finish line. We carefully assemble the project, ensuring that we remain guardians of original thinking.

PT How do you typically approach a custom typeface for a brand? 

SD Starting with research, we look at what may feel right in terms of the atmosphere – and simultaneously seek out specific references to places, people, and historical periods. Anything specific and directly or loosely linked to the subject matter is a helpful way to find a meaningful solution.

PT How does your design process differ between books, brands and websites?

SD The starting process is quite similar, whether it's a book, a brand or a website, we focus on immersing ourselves in the subject matter by doing in-depth research. The discrepancies will occur later when thinking about the applications and how the audiences will look, read or perceive the design. These different formats, being a screen, book or physical space, will impact the language and sequence of the design and our proposed solutions.

PT Are there any upcoming projects you can tell us about?

SD The current project on our desks is the Barbican Art Centre exhibition graphics and a catalogue for Unravel, The Power and Politics of Textiles in Art. The exhibition will feature Magdalena Abakanowicz, Louise Bourgeois, Tracey Emin, Sheila Hicks, Teresa Margolles, and more.

We are about to receive an advanced copy of Holt Quentel from the printing press commissioned by Maison D’art in Los Angeles. It’s a large-scale spiral-bound publication. We are excited about using various paper textures inside the book and the screen-printed cover.

For her long-awaited project with Artangel, New York-based artist Sarah Sze has transformed a Victorian waiting room at Peckham Rye Station that has lain empty for almost 50 years. The installation will travel to OGR in Turin, Italy and ARoS, Denmark – Atelier Dyakova is working on the publication that documents and celebrates this work.

The studio is about to complete an identity for Experience, an architecture practice based in Paris. We are developing a website, a complete overhaul of stationery and portfolio, employing two bespoke typefaces explicitly created for the studio.

Finally, we were recently commissioned to work on a publication for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Watch this space!

Atelier Dyakova