Sublimio — Brand Strategy & Brand Design

Premium but accessible. Traditional but innovative. Most briefs ask us to resolve a tension. Japan's most useful lesson for brand builders: don't. SUMO #74 is out mailchi.mp/sublimio/japan

7 years ago, I said yes to my first Japanese brief before finishing it. Today, Arito and I are still collaborating, meeting halfway, and having fun. The 3 brands we built together feel local to people in Japan. Nothing makes me prouder than that. — I'm the non-Japanese one ↓

Walking is a design choice. The cities and brands that get it right are the ones that design for human scale, not just for efficiency. This month's SUMO explores what moving at 3 km/h teaches you about everything else. mailchi.mp/sublimio/walk

Scale isn't quality. Craft is. This month's SUMO explores the quiet intelligence of small. In design, architecture, everyday objects. mailchi.mp/sublimio/small

Growth is good, but alignment is better. Today we declined two major projects that didn't fit our values. Being a boutique agency means we only take on work we truly believe in, ensuring our partners always get our full conviction. Values over volume, always.

To generate or not to generate. That's the question. The honest answer: it depends on why you're doing it. AI can build a whole brand universe. It can also produce slop. The difference is intention. Read our latest blog article, by @andrea_ciulu sublimio.com/how-to-use-ai-…

The maikasui project has been recognised by @CommArts, @cssdesignawards, @OnePageLove, @greensock, @packagings and more. Grateful for the attention, but what matters most is seeing the brand trusted globally. Something a website, a logo or packaging alone rarely achieve.

Let’s Open Up. This month’s SUMO explores open source, as a technical model and a creative attitude, with fresh links from @andrea_ciulu and @matteomodica. Opening up doesn’t weaken ideas. It multiplies them. Read the issue: mailchi.mp/sublimio/open

We are so proud to see our work recognized alongside the world’s leading studios on the amazing @CommArts: a platform that has been shaping the creative industry for decades. In the interview we shared the main challenges we faced along the way: commarts.com/webpicks/maika…

“Are websites dead?” Some say yes. After all, information about your brand is everywhere. But that’s exactly why a properly designed website matters more than ever. sublimio.com/how-we-make-we…

We just published a new case study: the branding for maikasui. maikasui is a Japanese premium hand-care brand, translating a traditional care ritual into a contemporary global language. Have a look: sublimio.com/maikasui

We work with clients all over the world, but there’s only one city we call home. This month’s SUMO is all about Rome: a city that balances chaos and beauty, constantly inspiring our work. Read the full issue here: mailchi.mp/sublimio/rome

Sometimes, you don’t need a logo to recognize a brand. You need its verbal identity: the voice that shows up in every word, especially when visuals are gone. This is why it matters, and how we work on it at Sublimio: sublimio.com/verbal-identit…

SUMO #69 — VOID Explore what’s not there. mailchi.mp/sublimio/void

New Website Inspiration: A serene day-in-the-life One Pager for maikasui built around an interactive footer timeline that lets you explore moments of the day and the products made for them. The scenes have beautiful depth (note the blurred plants in the office foreground) and realistic looping visuals.

When global communication feels increasingly distant, it’s only natural to look closer. Sometimes very close. mailchi.mp/sublimio/hyper…

Is branding an art or a science? For us, it should be a bit of both. A beautiful brand without strategy is just decoration, and a strategic brand without beauty is just a document. We call this Beautiful Thinking: sublimio.com/beautiful-thin…

Another award for The Missing Element! We’re happy to share that our most recent website was just awarded an Honorable Mention on @awwwards! This marks our 6th recognition on the platform and a reminder that good work (and teamwork) always pays off. awwwards.com/sites/the-miss…

SUMO just got a new, personal look. What began as a short, inspiring newsletter has evolved into a space where we explore monthly themes and share perspectives on design, culture, and branding. Now the signup page reflects that human touch. sublimio.com/sumo/

Subscribe here for the next issue: sublimio.com/sumo/

Is it worth more if a human made it? In an age dominated by automation and AI, we’re witnessing a renewed appreciation for things that bear the mark of a human hand. Our latest issue SUMO explores why we still value what makes human-made work unique. mailchi.mp/sublimio/human…