CONTEXT

Following months of fulfilling creative collaboration, the decision to co-found a studio became a transformative milestone. While a studio’s visual identity can be designed at any given moment, the initiative called for deeper, foundational introspection before entering the public sphere: Why embark on this journey? To what end, and through what means? And crucially, why pursue it as a partnership? The project set out to articulate the studio’s underlying ethos through an intimate, physical format.

APPROACH

Conceived and authored solely by Sofiia Markova, the project took shape as an uncompromising, personal manifesto. Rather than treating it as a conventional branding exercise, she approached it through exploratory hands-on methods—writing, drawing, scanning, and physical manipulation of materials. The sheer volume of accumulated thoughts and visual experiments naturally evolved into a tactile book. Serving as a deliberate time capsule, it captures the raw duality of shared ambition: vulnerabilities, convictions, excitement, and long-term vision.

OUTCOME

The book stands not merely as an archive, but as an essential internal anchor for the studio’s forward trajectory. It defines core values and artistic direction with clarity, ensuring that future client commissions remain grounded in genuine purpose rather than superficial trends. The resulting publication bridges personal reflection with editorial design, setting the emotional and philosophical tone for the studio’s practice.

CREDITS

Concept, Creative Direction & Design Sofiia Markova
Texts Sofiia Markova & Ondřej Skořepa
Photography @vneird
Exhibition Visual Design Studio Assessment (LS klauzury 2025)