Not a Type is a studio that integrates branding design and advertising with data-driven predictive modeling.

WORK

CONTACT

hello@notatype.com

STUDIO

Not a Type is an international studio developing conceptual and visual languages. These languages unfold through a variety of forms — visual identities and design systems, websites and publications, brand vision and strategies, texts and photography, objects and installations, art and curatorial projects. The studio exists as an evolving dialogue, not a static entity.

These languages unfold through identities and design systems, websites and publications, brand vision and strategies, data analysis and forecasting, texts and photography.

We consider design a linguistic medium for engaging with contemporary culture — shaping how it is seen, understood, and experience.

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Founded in 2018 by kinam kang, and shaped by a like-minded team with deep expertise in creative direction, design, and communication, the studio’s practice extends beyond design consultancy into research, art, education, and media. These facets operate both digitally and physically, expanding the discourse of design into broader cultural territories.

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In both commissioned and self-initiated projects, the studio does not define itself by a singular field. It engages with both niche and mass brands. The primary criterion is alignment: ethical, aesthetic, intellectual. Design, here, is not a service, but a conversation and a language.

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APPROACH

From the beginning, we rejected the notion of a signature visual style. Instead, we cultivated a signature approach  — where conceptual language leads, and visual language follows as its method of articulation.

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This approach is shaped by key principles: non-objectivity, structure, irrationality, irony, tongue-in-cheekness, and metaphor. We seek new optics — reframing defaults, articulating the obvious through the unexpected, revealing what is seen but not yet noticed, and playing with conceptual inversions and linguistic games.

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Over time, we observed that a defined conceptual language naturally generates a visual vocabulary — a framework that allows for reinvention without repetition, a lexicon that evolves without redundancy.

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Our visual language is subtle and deliberate. We avoid the bright, the loud, and the ephemeral — not as a restraint, but as a strategy. Expression for the sake of expression is uninteresting; we aim for a form of intellectual resonance, where meaning reveals itself through context and layered interpretation. Many of our visual solutions are structure- and text-driven. Typography and layout are not decorative but integral — an organic response to the text-centric nature of our conceptual practice.
Every project is structured with depth and dimensionality — an architecture of meaning, where an engaged audience can navigate through layers, unearthing nuances and hidden references.

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IDEOLOGY

The foundation of Not a Type is an ideology that has taken shape over years of practice. We prioritize cultural impact ¹, research, co-authorship, experimentation, and respect for expertise— principles that guide both process and outcome.

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Our practice is positioned to contribute to contemporary culture. Each commission is considered through the lens of impact — on individuals, institutions, and environments. Design has the ability to alter perception, whether at a systemic level or through micro-interventions in everyday life.

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Our methodology challenges assumptions. Research destabilizes the expected. Co-authorship reshapes authorship. Flexibility and experimentation define the process. We reject design as a picture-first practice, prioritizing ideas, words, and systems of meaning. We also do not view design as a service; our work is therefore project-focused, not client-focused. Through our accumulated expertise, we are able to distinguish more effective and appropriate solutions from those that are subjective or dictated by personal preference — ensuring each outcome is rooted in clarity and intent.

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EXPERTISE

We develop conceptual  and visual languages — and focus on their implementation, where theory and execution converge.

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Conceptual languages include ideation and concept development, brand vision, strategy and consulting, creative direction, positioning, tone of voice, communication strategy, curation, and architecture.

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Visual languages encompass visual identity, design systems, typography, visual strategy, art direction, interior design, and photo and video direction.

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These languages materialize through graphic design, digital design, spatial design, editorial design, cover design, objects and merch, industrial and product design, (accidental) naming, writing, and artworks.

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TEAM

People and their ideas are at the heart of the studio. With a core team of three, our structure is fluid and project-oriented. We operate through an extended network of designers, data analysts, artists, illustrators, photographers, writers, and strategists — each contributing distinct perspectives and expertise.

Kinam Kang

Steve Kim

Yujin Lee

BRANDING

DATA-DRIVEN MODELING