Brand strategy, visual identity, art direction, graphic design, digital products (UX/UI), social media concepts...
Who knew that having an insatiable curious mind could turn into a full-time practice ?
Visual identity
We create, expand, and refresh visual identities for brands, retail spaces, cultural events and non-profit organizations. We believe in in-depth conversations, orchestrated iterations and shaping custom solutions that align with each project’s reality.
Our services include:
→ Research
→ Workshop
→ Brand audit
→ Brand positioning
→ Logo
→ Design system
→ Visual guidelines
Art direction & graphic design
Graphic design is the heartbeat of our studio. Though we started our careers with different goals, our passion for typography, composition, and tactile work has remained unwavering. Design is integral to almost every project you’ll undertake with us.
Our services include:
→ Print / OOH
→ Reports
→ Installation
→ Signage system
→ Merch
Social media
Annie is the social media specialist at Downstairs Design. She works with agencies on pitches and creative campaigns, or as an integrated partner, having developed a strong understanding of what brands need to connect with audiences. From premium photoshoots to clever low-fi concepts, she has spent over 8 years experimenting and enhancing her strategic knowledge, enabling her to effectively apply her art direction expertise to social media presence.
Our services include:
→ Design systems
→ Creative concepts across owned, creator and paid
→ Monthly support for assets production
Platforms: Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Youtube, Snapchat and BeReal.
Digital product (UX/UI)
We partner with brands and agencies to design e-commerce platforms, apps, institutional websites and digital sustainability tools, from initial research through final delivery. For the technical aspects of projects, we partner with specialists experienced in the tools you currently use or plan to use (Shopify, PrestaShop, Magento, custom headless…).
Our services include:
→ Discovery phase. Brand, product, ecosystem & audience. UX audits & workshops.
→ Definition phase. Define the goals, define the services (user journey, story mapping, product/service life cycle, site structure), define the brand experience.
→ Design phase. Conception & prototyping, design ideation & exploration, design production (prototypes, templates, UI-kit & dev. handoff)
The way it works
Methodology is one of the key ingredients to a successful collaboration. The one we use at Downstairs isn’t revolutionary, but it has been used, shaped, tested, and fine-tuned. We adapt it slightly for each client while emphasizing certain non-negotiable ingredients: time, strategy (long conversations), availability, and transparency.
Trust the process
Discover
Research, interview & workshops, brand & services audit, ecosystem & audiences analysis.
Define
Define the goals, plan the brand experience, map the service or the user journeys. Define the brand positioning, the offering, the brand meaning & the way we want it to be perceived.
Design
Ideation & design exploration. All comes together in design production, whether it is visual identity, art direction or prototypes & Ui kit.
Teamwork makes the dream work
We believe everyone has a role in shaping what goes into the world. Design is a powerful tool that can drive positive change. We’ve never limited ourselves to specific types of projects or budgets — this continuous exploration has kept us grounded, curious, humble, and motivated. As a result, we work with diverse teams, from global B2B environmental consulting groups to solo entrepreneurs, startups, and established agencies.
