The studio
Small on purpose, loud on paper
Twenty-two people in two cities. No account managers, no hand-offs, no junior team you never met.
Since 2017
Started on a tram line in Santos
Halcyon began in a former bakery on Rua da Boavista, with two designers, a borrowed Risograph and a sardine cannery that needed a new label. That label became our first award and our longest client relationship.
In 2021 we opened a second studio off Hackney Road in London to work closer to clients in the UK and northern Europe. The two studios share one team, one process and a daily stand-up that is somehow always about lunch.
We stay independent because it lets us choose the work. We take on about fourteen projects a year, and every one is led by a partner who designs, not just presents.
Good identities are not decorated. They are decided.
Partners
The people on your project
Rita Albuquerque
Founder, Creative Director
Ex-Pentagram. Leads identity and packaging from Lisbon.
Oliver Achebe
Partner, Digital
Designer and developer. Runs the London studio and every web build.
Mariana Costa
Partner, Strategy
Writes the briefs, the names and most of the words.
Jun Watanabe
Head of Motion
Animator and 3D artist. Makes logos move without making them dizzy.
Principles
How we like to work
Write it first
Every design decision traces back to a sentence in the brief.
Partners in the room
The person who pitched you is the person who designs for you.
Motion from day one
We design identities to move, then make sure they still work in print.
Recognised by
- Northern Type Awards
- Brand Index
- Lisbon Design Week
- Grid & Gutter
- Studio Annual
- The Form Review
- Signal Design Prize
Come and see the studio
Coffee in Santos or Shoreditch. Bring a brief or just a hunch.