Hungry for creative advice? Koto’s slick new website reveals the recipe for branding success

Digital studio Koto has unveiled its new project, Seasoned – an online hub for creatives that explores the expansive world of branding. Leveraging the studio's design expertise, the site is a feast of knowledge for emerging creatives, providing a stylish collection of e-books and expert insights to educate and inspire.

Creating impactful branding is no mean feat but with a diverse range of clients, from Sonos to WhatsApp, Koto's rich industry experience is an invaluable tool. Reflecting the brand's commitment to supporting aspiring creatives, Seasoned is a passion project built upon giving back to the creative community, bridging the gap between professional studios and emerging talent.

Delightfully playful and thoroughly unpretentious, “Seasoned was born out of a desire to address the barriers to entering the creative industry," Sam Howard, creative director at Koto, tells Creative Bloq. "It often feels impenetrable, requiring resources or connections many don’t have access to. High academic thresholds, the need to live in major design hubs like London, and a lack of clear guidance all contribute to these obstacles. While we’re not tackling all obstacles, we wanted to create something that could help, in a fun engaging way, to demystify branding and make creative careers and the industry more transparent,” he adds.

The Seasoned site has a distinctly retro charm, comprised of a collection of unique 'cookbooks' filled with handy and palatable design expertise (also be prepared for a banquet of culinary puns). “We were hugely inspired by the visual vernacular of 70s and 80s cookbooks and their simple approach to explaining (even the strangest) dishes. We wanted to bring some joy to a space that can sometimes feel a little stuffy, and hopefully that's reflected in the digital experience – challenging conventions of what an educational resource should look like with moments of surprise and delight," says Koto's senior designers Dylan Young & Sienna Mark-Brown.

"We wanted the brand to have a lot of personality, and moments of contradiction allowed us to achieve this – an earthy 70s inspired colour palette combined with dreamy candy coloured gradients. A bold 70s-inspired custom typeface, Seasoned Sans, with a refined script. Playful digital interactions, housing important content. Archival vintage cooking footage, interspersed with our own photoshoot. And a motion language inspired by the low-fi grain, echo and lower frame rates of the era,” they add.

Created pro bono by Koto's London team, the project was a wholly collaborative process shaped by a passion to inspire. “Building Seasoned was a challenge, especially within a busy studio environment where client work often takes priority. However, the team’s shared passion for this initiative drove it forward. We overcame the time constraints through collaboration, dedication, and a collective belief in the project’s potential. It was a true team effort, fuelled by the desire to create something meaningful and share our gained knowledge,” Sam says.

“We’re most proud of the incredible effort from our London team – Seasoned has been a true studio-wide collaboration. At some point, almost everyone has played a role in bringing it to life, whether through research, writing, designing, or refining ideas. Seeing that dedication come together into something tangible and impactful is what makes this so special,” he adds.

Still in its early days, Seasoned is set to grow by adding more interactive learning resources, eventually expanding its reach with more direct, real-world experiences. “The immediate next Seasoned step is for us to release a couple more ‘cookbooks’. After that, we’d love to start offering real practical advice and insights, in an interactive way – such as portfolio reviews, guest lectures, competition briefs, education tutorials and mentorship schemes," adds Dylan and Sienna.

For more creative inspiration from Koto check out the studio's delightfully Gen Z rebrand for the finance app Fluz. If you missed it, take a look at the studio's Microsoft Copilot+ PC branding that shows the human side of AI.