Studio Leichtfried’s thoughtful identities marry digital systems with analogue experiences

For Paul Leichtfried, identities should never solely consider the digital realm, they need to be holistic, married with the physical and analogue worlds too. “A hover animation on a website has the same significance as a print finish,” he says. “We need to develop visual systems that meet the demands and challenges of our digital age without losing touch with analogue experiences and interactions.” This sentiment translates beautifully in the studio’s branding for the gardener J. Mullan, which highlights all four seasons, rather than relying on just spring and summer. The identity blends cohesive digital systems, with natural imagery, tied together by a tactile business card debossed with the company’s elegant floral logo.

Raised in a small town in the Austrian Alps, Paul has studied in Berlin, Austria and Plymouth and he’s gained a wealth of experience working in leading design studios and agencies across Barcelona, London, Vienna and Mexico, before founding Studio Leichtfried in 2016. Despite going solo, Paul still sources his “greatest inspiration” from collaborating with other creatives, and he regularly teams up on projects with friends like Zwupp, and Daniel Triendl. “You always come across new ways of thinking, approaches and perspectives that broaden your own horizons,” says Paul. “This human creative exchange is my greatest source of inspiration, but it also drives me when I see what others are doing and how they take things to a next level.”