Perspective
The Alongside Aesthetic
The Alongside Aesthetic
The Alongside Aesthetic
Josiah Bilagot
Josiah Bilagot
—
Feb 21, 2025
4
min read
Building on the insights shared in The Paths Ahead, we set out to create a visual language that better conveys the perspective and ambitions of With.
Values First
When we reimagine anything with our partners, we always start with defining values. They determine what is and is not essential and guide us toward a better path forward without compromising what's most important. For our own team, the method remained the same.
Over a series of workshops, we interrogated the values we've held as a studio. The values of mutuality, emergence, bravery, collectivism, care, and hope were scrutinized to determine whether they served our focus. Through that process, two more values were added; play and interdependence.
To us, play meant possibility, co-creation with partners, and adaptation to challenges in real time, all while anticipating a positive result. Building a better future collaboratively will take a long time. How can we prioritize play and find joy while in that process?
Interdependence replaced mutuality because we believe our future is intertwined with everyone else. Our strengths are enhanced by each other, and our weaknesses are mitigated by each other. We don't get free alone.
"Co-creation emerges out of process and evolves from within communities and with people rather than being made for or about them."
Collective Wisdom
Woven Together
Weaving is an ancient method of interlacing two or more distinct sets of threads at right angles to create textiles. The deep interconnections of singular threads with others create a stronger, more complex, and more beautiful fabric. In the same way, we as individuals can participate in the various spaces we belong to, ultimately creating a richer and interdependent society.
A triaxial weave is a pattern with strips of fabric woven together at angles and not the traditional 90 degrees. No longer limited by fixed right angles, new shapes and patterns are possible. This new angle represents how we can imagine beyond the systems we accept as fixed and create new possibilities in new dimensions that seem impractical or impossible. Likewise, we now have a recurring motif to represent emergent and new collective strategies throughout our visual language.
Weaving may be ancient, but the practice uniquely connects to the computational age. The Jacquard loom is often considered a predecessor to modern computing because its interchangeable punch cards inspired the design of early computers.
While we are a digital-focused co-design studio, we are not separated from our ancestral roots. Our team comprises diaspora from many cultures (many with rich weaving traditions), and we want to honour our histories while continuing to press forward.
"Weaving provides a framework for a deeper understanding of the systems of our lives…we are interconnected in so many ways."
Rowe Schnure, Weaver
Shared Progress
Ultimately, we needed an identity to convey our new name and ethos. Inspired by the Art Nouveau references in the typeface New Spirit, the With wordmark has gentle opposing forward and backward angles, a fitting analogy of a constructive dialogue between peers. The soft forms echo the above-mentioned movement that developed in response to excess industrialization and rejection of nature in the 19th century. A notion that is not too distant from today's trend toward automation.
In striking contrast to the organic is the linear angular plane (triaxial weave) created by the i, t, and h. By default, these letters are rendered at differing heights but are adjusted to show upward progress through deliberate collaboration and adaptation.
The variable typeface Public Sans, developed by and for the United States Web Design System, was selected to complement New Spirit, when accessibility, functionality, and long-form reading are primary. As a typeface designed to serve the public good it was a fitting choice.
Onward
We are committed to engaging the world with renewed conviction and a thoughtful aesthetic that reflects our collective imagination. We are excited for what the future holds, not just for us but for everyone who strives to improve the spaces they find themselves in. Let's build that better future together.
Building on the insights shared in The Paths Ahead, we set out to create a visual language that better conveys the perspective and ambitions of With.
Values First
When we reimagine anything with our partners, we always start with defining values. They determine what is and is not essential and guide us toward a better path forward without compromising what's most important. For our own team, the method remained the same.
Over a series of workshops, we interrogated the values we've held as a studio. The values of mutuality, emergence, bravery, collectivism, care, and hope were scrutinized to determine whether they served our focus. Through that process, two more values were added; play and interdependence.
To us, play meant possibility, co-creation with partners, and adaptation to challenges in real time, all while anticipating a positive result. Building a better future collaboratively will take a long time. How can we prioritize play and find joy while in that process?
Interdependence replaced mutuality because we believe our future is intertwined with everyone else. Our strengths are enhanced by each other, and our weaknesses are mitigated by each other. We don't get free alone.
"Co-creation emerges out of process and evolves from within communities and with people rather than being made for or about them."
Collective Wisdom
Woven Together
Weaving is an ancient method of interlacing two or more distinct sets of threads at right angles to create textiles. The deep interconnections of singular threads with others create a stronger, more complex, and more beautiful fabric. In the same way, we as individuals can participate in the various spaces we belong to, ultimately creating a richer and interdependent society.
A triaxial weave is a pattern with strips of fabric woven together at angles and not the traditional 90 degrees. No longer limited by fixed right angles, new shapes and patterns are possible. This new angle represents how we can imagine beyond the systems we accept as fixed and create new possibilities in new dimensions that seem impractical or impossible. Likewise, we now have a recurring motif to represent emergent and new collective strategies throughout our visual language.
Weaving may be ancient, but the practice uniquely connects to the computational age. The Jacquard loom is often considered a predecessor to modern computing because its interchangeable punch cards inspired the design of early computers.
While we are a digital-focused co-design studio, we are not separated from our ancestral roots. Our team comprises diaspora from many cultures (many with rich weaving traditions), and we want to honour our histories while continuing to press forward.
"Weaving provides a framework for a deeper understanding of the systems of our lives…we are interconnected in so many ways."
Rowe Schnure, Weaver
Shared Progress
Ultimately, we needed an identity to convey our new name and ethos. Inspired by the Art Nouveau references in the typeface New Spirit, the With wordmark has gentle opposing forward and backward angles, a fitting analogy of a constructive dialogue between peers. The soft forms echo the above-mentioned movement that developed in response to excess industrialization and rejection of nature in the 19th century. A notion that is not too distant from today's trend toward automation.
In striking contrast to the organic is the linear angular plane (triaxial weave) created by the i, t, and h. By default, these letters are rendered at differing heights but are adjusted to show upward progress through deliberate collaboration and adaptation.
The variable typeface Public Sans, developed by and for the United States Web Design System, was selected to complement New Spirit, when accessibility, functionality, and long-form reading are primary. As a typeface designed to serve the public good it was a fitting choice.
Onward
We are committed to engaging the world with renewed conviction and a thoughtful aesthetic that reflects our collective imagination. We are excited for what the future holds, not just for us but for everyone who strives to improve the spaces they find themselves in. Let's build that better future together.
Building on the insights shared in The Paths Ahead, we set out to create a visual language that better conveys the perspective and ambitions of With.
Values First
When we reimagine anything with our partners, we always start with defining values. They determine what is and is not essential and guide us toward a better path forward without compromising what's most important. For our own team, the method remained the same.
Over a series of workshops, we interrogated the values we've held as a studio. The values of mutuality, emergence, bravery, collectivism, care, and hope were scrutinized to determine whether they served our focus. Through that process, two more values were added; play and interdependence.
To us, play meant possibility, co-creation with partners, and adaptation to challenges in real time, all while anticipating a positive result. Building a better future collaboratively will take a long time. How can we prioritize play and find joy while in that process?
Interdependence replaced mutuality because we believe our future is intertwined with everyone else. Our strengths are enhanced by each other, and our weaknesses are mitigated by each other. We don't get free alone.
"Co-creation emerges out of process and evolves from within communities and with people rather than being made for or about them."
Collective Wisdom
Woven Together
Weaving is an ancient method of interlacing two or more distinct sets of threads at right angles to create textiles. The deep interconnections of singular threads with others create a stronger, more complex, and more beautiful fabric. In the same way, we as individuals can participate in the various spaces we belong to, ultimately creating a richer and interdependent society.
A triaxial weave is a pattern with strips of fabric woven together at angles and not the traditional 90 degrees. No longer limited by fixed right angles, new shapes and patterns are possible. This new angle represents how we can imagine beyond the systems we accept as fixed and create new possibilities in new dimensions that seem impractical or impossible. Likewise, we now have a recurring motif to represent emergent and new collective strategies throughout our visual language.
Weaving may be ancient, but the practice uniquely connects to the computational age. The Jacquard loom is often considered a predecessor to modern computing because its interchangeable punch cards inspired the design of early computers.
While we are a digital-focused co-design studio, we are not separated from our ancestral roots. Our team comprises diaspora from many cultures (many with rich weaving traditions), and we want to honour our histories while continuing to press forward.
"Weaving provides a framework for a deeper understanding of the systems of our lives…we are interconnected in so many ways."
Rowe Schnure, Weaver
Shared Progress
Ultimately, we needed an identity to convey our new name and ethos. Inspired by the Art Nouveau references in the typeface New Spirit, the With wordmark has gentle opposing forward and backward angles, a fitting analogy of a constructive dialogue between peers. The soft forms echo the above-mentioned movement that developed in response to excess industrialization and rejection of nature in the 19th century. A notion that is not too distant from today's trend toward automation.
In striking contrast to the organic is the linear angular plane (triaxial weave) created by the i, t, and h. By default, these letters are rendered at differing heights but are adjusted to show upward progress through deliberate collaboration and adaptation.
The variable typeface Public Sans, developed by and for the United States Web Design System, was selected to complement New Spirit, when accessibility, functionality, and long-form reading are primary. As a typeface designed to serve the public good it was a fitting choice.
Onward
We are committed to engaging the world with renewed conviction and a thoughtful aesthetic that reflects our collective imagination. We are excited for what the future holds, not just for us but for everyone who strives to improve the spaces they find themselves in. Let's build that better future together.
——
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