Gene Hua
Designer
In their own words
Lausanne and Montagu have completely different origins, but when they sit next to each other, their similar x-heights and round shapes make them very complimentary.
Articles & interviews
- XXIX’s elegant identity for Parafin addresses its dual audience of partners and small businesses
New York-based studio XXIX, in collaboration with Manhattan Hydraulics, developed a refined rebrand for financial platform Parafin. The identity balances the needs of both partners and small business audiences through a mint and gold palette, a dual-typeface system using Lausanne and Montagu Slab, and a logo designed by Ty Wilkins. The result communicates trust, warmth, and innovation within the financial sector.
- “It’s all about people!” Jacob Heftmann on XXIX’s democratic and dazzlingly talented studio
The Brand Identity interviews Jacob Heftmann, founder of New York-based design and technology studio XXIX, about the studio’s democratic structure and people-first philosophy. Heftmann discusses XXIX’s profit-sharing model, transparent salaries, and collective decision-making processes that prioritize fairness and empathy. The conversation also touches on XXIX’s sister studios within the garden3d collective and self-initiated projects like Index and Seaborne.