Subsystematics
Subsystematics operates on the belief that true care begins with inquiry—a deliberate questioning of what it means to live well and to thrive. Our task at AND ASSOCIATES STUDIO was to reflect this inquiry in the brand’s identity. We understood that this was a system, not merely a brand, and that the identity had to exist as a framework within which customers could explore and evolve. Subsystematics demanded more than a design—it required a philosophical vessel capable of carrying both the material and the immaterial: the evidence-based efficacy of their products alongside a contemplative discourse on wellness and human potential.
The brand operates at the intersection of science and ritual, where skincare becomes a practice of intentional care—both of the self and the mind. This required a design that could embody both precision and tradition, where the philosophy of evidence-based care could be mirrored in every touchpoint. We understood that the core values of Subsystematics—science, simplicity, integrity, and non-conformity—needed to resonate throughout their identity. The brand had to feel premium yet grounded, inspiring yet non-conforming, speaking to an audience that values both the clinical rigor of science and the cultural depth of meditation, exercise, and travel as essential components of self-care.
To create a design language for Subsystematics based off of The Company You Keep’s original findings, was to engage with the very essence of clarity—distilled, thoughtful, and purposeful. We proposed a system that was minimalist not for fashion’s sake but as a strategy to remove excess and allow meaning to surface. The graphic identity had to serve as a kind of visual philosophy, one that invites contemplation, encouraging users to see skincare not as an isolated activity but as part of a broader inquiry into how we care for and understand ourselves. This conceptual framework extended into every detail, including the choice of typography, where the interplay of form and function became a critical element in reinforcing the brand’s ethos.
The typographic choices of pairing Lineto's LL Riforma and Florian Karsten Typefaces’ FK Grotesk emerges from a deliberate inquiry—a synthesis of typographic rigor and behavioral intuition, framed by a need for clarity within complexity. These typefaces, similar in their modernist lineage yet distinct in their nuance, act as components within a greater system, where cohesion is not a given but an orchestrated tension. Their pairing seeks to distill precision and accessibility, creating a typographic dialogue that is both grounded and aspirational.
This dialogue is shaped by shared principles: utilitarian clarity and structural balance, tempered by subtle contrasts. Riforma speaks in measured tones, evoking empirical rigor and intellectual depth, while FK Grotesk broadens the scope with a pragmatic, human touch. Together, they form a framework that transcends aesthetics, becoming a vessel for connection, inquiry, and meaning—greater than the sum of its parts.
