Cradled in parentheses, In-Col Studio’s identity puts the focus on Weekly Tales’ storytelling

The realm of online news, to describe it in the mildest of terms, is a hive of buzzwords, rampant sensationalism, and unpredictable chaos. In a space often-dedicated to hyperbole and magnifying the extremes, finding nuance and authenticity is akin to looking for an oasis in a desert.

Weekly Tales, a renowned digital editorial platform, has always been dedicated to spotlighting engaging and truthful tales in a slower and more considered manner – delving deep into the stories of individuals and locales. Their commitment to documenting the subtleties of people and places, be it through explorations of important social movements or detailed investigations into local histories, has garnered much interest and admiration.

In-Col Studio has been a trusted partner of Weekly Tales for nearly half a decade, through which time the website has been updated twice. With this deep-rooted bond, the team was entrusted not only with the revitalisation of the Weekly Tales brand, but also with the exciting challenge of reinventing the digital space itself. This was a crucial step for Weekly Tales, as they began to expand their scope beyond traditional editorial content, embracing diverse forms of storytelling, including photo book publishing and documentary filmmaking.

“The rebrand intended to reflect the design tropes of traditional and contemporary news,” Designer Jack Lambert explains, “whilst creating a unique space in the middle ground that Weekly Tales could occupy.” The rebrand therefore showcases a versatile visual identity, including a natural colour palette, a malleable wordmark and website enhancements aimed at streamlining functionality and harmonising visual and textual elements.

The look is centred around parentheses, a subtle nod to the platform’s mission of drawing attention to often overlooked stories. This system allows for effortless transitions between high-quality photography and in-depth reporting. Reflecting on this element, Lambert says, “I like the numerous layouts that can be created when one or multiple images are contained within the parentheses. The content can define whether these outputs focus only on photography or comprise an article summary, and it feels like you’re seeing the system flex in its simplest form.” The wordmark lockups are designed in this vein, providing refined clarity across the platform’s three components – Weekly, Studio, and Published.

The rebrand features a blend of typefaces that were chosen with the website in mind, and used to create a ‘house’ brand that encompasses Tales’ three key areas. “To create clarity between Weekly/Studio/Published and Tales, we used the contrast between our chosen serif and sans serif as a distinguishing visual,” Lambert notes. “For the wordmarks we used ABC Arizona Mix (a serif) which has subtlety, hinting towards traditional journalism.” Meanwhile, WT Gestalt (a sans serif) is retained from the previous identity and provides a down-to-earth practicality, used across all touchpoints. “As well as the typefaces mentioned above, we use National 2 Compressed as the display,” the designer adds. “We felt Tales’ tone of voice has always been that of confidence and honesty, so this is expressed in this compact typeface, reminiscent of narrow newsprint type.”

The website redesign is inspired by traditional news and print, yet prioritises the platform’s primary objective – showcasing storytelling and accompanying imagery. “We created blocks that help to navigate the relationship between text, image and quotes, translating the traditional printed editorial seamlessly into a digital format,” Creative Director & Partner Niall Wynne-Lewis reveals. “The latter has provided us with greater possibilities for visual exploration, with photography being afforded more space within the articles.”

In-Col Studio

Weekly Tales