AWP’s brand identities need to be “gritty and disruptive – or it’s not ours”

AWP (As We Proceed) is the kind of studio that looks like it’s having heaps of fun. Co-founded by creative directors Emanuel Cohen and Mariane Vaillancourt, the independent design firm is what the duo describes as their shot at “building something different together” — having gravitated around each other’s creative worlds for a little while.

With a spirit for all things design, “a raptness for storytelling and a particular affection for street culture”, the pair have been finding joy in building beautiful brand identities, in their multidisciplinary team. “Our eclectic backgrounds combine strategy, ideation, design, craftsmanship, art direction, photography, psycho-sociology, art history, sports and music – anything AWP puts forth carries depth and strives to bring rapture,” says Emanuel. “It needs to be gritty and disruptive or it’s not ours. Regardless of context, space or subject, we’re here to build unique visual personalities and voices.”

AWP’s research methods often pushes the team to find similarities between their “projects core” and other “unrelated subjects”, so they frequently find themselves “diving into unexpected realms” with their branding endeavours and finding inspiration in places just outside of the creative world, says Mariane. For instance, barber shops and whiskey informed its recent visual identity for dental clinic Maison Dentaire.

When it comes to creative inspiration, most of this happens outside of office hours at AWP — and most importantly offline. “Detaching from our design world and daily tools is essential in maintaining our creative clarity”, says Emanuel. “What do you do when you’re not working? is one of our favourite questions to ask when meeting new people. AWP’s body of work is definitely coloured by the people behind it. Whether it’s the graphic language, tone of voice, or photographic choices, projects exude codes that stem from music, sports, street culture, and self betterment.”