In our fragmented postmodern world, the machinations behind new trends in design can sometimes feel opaque and unpredictable. But look closer into the ever-expanding pool of bygone periods and references from which our visual culture springs, and you’ll find that the old adage that “nothing is new” rings true.

In these optically saturated times, Kith&Kin, a design studio based in Hong Kong, stands out for its ability to craft dynamic visual identities for brands that are at the forefront of contemporary design while maintaining a reverence for heritage. 

Creative Director James Woodward has been leading the boutique studio since its inception in 2011. His insights on contemporary design and the industry at large not only inform Kith&Kin’s modus operandi but also shed light on the ever-cyclical nature of aesthetics.

How Smartphones Dumbed Down Design

On January 9, 2007, Steve Jobs announced the iPhone. Though it was not the first mobile phone that could browse the internet, it was the first that emulated a desktop or laptop browsing experience with a revolutionary large touchscreen devoid of buttons. The smartphone as we know it was born.

The swift and widespread adoption of the iPhone and other early smartphones had an impact on graphic design and typography whose effects are still being felt today.

“Back in the day, before smartphones got retina screens and all that stuff, we had standard screens that were 72 dpi (dots per square inch). So, the density was much lower compared to print, since books or magazines are and have always been 300 dpi,” explains Woodward.

This vast disparity in resolution sparked a shift towards simplification, particularly in typography, where serif fonts (which have fine stroke details) lost out to sans serif fonts out of necessity. Other graphic elements, from colour gradation to textures, were also scaled back for the same reason.

“With those early screens, if you used serif fonts, it looked kind of blocky because the pixels were too big and you couldn’t see the nice curves on the terminals. So, to get around that, they just made everything sans serif because they have a lot less detail and were easier to read on the screen,” he continues.

“Now, with retina and 4K displays, resolution is going through the roof. We can actually put serifs on screens and the curves look like curves instead of a series of steps. Type designers, instead of being constricted, can use anything now. So, we’re seeing crazier fonts and colour gradients again, which is really cool, and you’re seeing people become more adventurous with design both on-screen and off.” 

For Woodward, it is indie brands, like skincare label Everyday Humans, and the F&B sector that are leading the charge in this renaissance. Alcoholic beverage design, such as that seen in the competitive craft beer market, typifies this: “Everyone is looking for the most outrageous design for when it’s in a convenience store fridge to catch consumers’ eyes.”

Not everyone has received the memo, though.

“The big companies are a bit slower to move into that direction, which is why I’m a bit disappointed with fashion brands for rebranding with these sans serif logos,” says Woodward. “If you look at Boss, Burberry, Diane von Furstenberg, they had such elaborate wordmarks before, but now, they are all bold sans serif fonts and they’re not identifiable. And that’s the most important thing about visual identities: to be identifiable.” 

Designer as Doctor

While some brands have seemingly cast aside their heritage to bend to the sans serif movement, Kith&Kin’s multidisciplinary approach towards design is helping others define theirs.

One of the primary ways it does this is by organising strategy workshops at the beginning of each project—a now common industry approach that Kith&Kin helped pioneer in Hong Kong with the help of resources such as The Futur’s Core Framework and Marty Neumeier’s book The Brand Gap. 

Comprised of a series of exercises and in-depth conversations, these workshops help Woodward and his team to understand their clients’ goals and to structure their design work around who the client is and who their customer is.

Through their workshops with popular Hong Kong bakery chain Bakehouse, for example, Kith&Kin understood that the brand’s loyal community was central to its success. The visual identity then centred around that with whimsical illustrations of real-life regular customers.

“I think the trap that a lot of designers get into, especially at the beginning of their career, is that their client comes up to them and says, ‘I need a website’ and they’ll be like, ‘Okay, I’ll design a website’, but what we really should be doing as designers is to be more like a doctor.”

“You ask questions. You go through tests. That’s what the workshop is. It’s diagnosing. Do you really need a website? Is there something cheaper or more effective that you can do? It’s making sure they’re making the right decision and that they’re spending the money in the right place. Design can be beautiful, ornate and on-trend, but if it doesn’t tick the boxes of your clients true goals and needs, then it’s basically useless.”

Future Nostalgia… for Now

If future nostalgia defines culture at large in the postmodern era, what is the current design zeitgeist and who is driving it?

“There’s a lot of the ‘90s aesthetic coming back,” says Woodward. “Again, because of the better screens, we’re seeing really thin black outlines, and a lot of wacky ‘90s gradients and typography becoming popular.”

“It’s because the people who are designing now are 20 years old and just out of university. They never grew up with any ‘90s references. They weren’t even born in the ‘90s! So, all of those references just seem cool to them.”

While millennials and older generations might cringe at the thought of design in the 1990s, Gen-Z is unafraid of remixing and re-contextualising aesthetics that they never lived through.

“They never had to use it or interact with it, whereas for me, I actually used those things. Some of those brands I liked, some I didn’t, so I have an emotional connection to it,” Woodward recalls. “They don’t have that emotional connection, so it’s really refreshing to see how they use certain things that I might have a slight hate towards. They just use it with just a clear set of eyes, you know?”

All Images: Kith&Kin

Writer | Mengzy

Mengzy is a DJ/producer, radio presenter, freelance writer and final-year PhD candidate in Musicology based in Hong Kong. A regular on the regional underground and festival circuit, she has established herself both as a radio personality and as a co-founder of Wonton Bass. Mengzy writes cultural analysis and commentary on a wide range of topics, including music, film, gaming, and design. Follow her on Instagram @djmengzy