Brand Identity Guide
Visual Communication & Systems Design Practice · San Francisco · 2026
01
Oakatelier IA is Jes Zhang's independent design practice — small, deliberate, high-trust. A working practice, not an agency.
The name carries the root. Oak for durability and depth. Atelier for the working space where craft happens. IA for information architecture — the underlying structure beneath every surface.
The work spans graphic design, UI/UX, icon design, and brand systems — but the through-line is always systems thinking. Jes was unifying chaotic interfaces before the industry had a name for it. That instinct is the practice.
02
Oakatelier IA works best with clients who already know what they want to say but haven't figured out how to make it visible. Museums, institutions, international organizations, mission-driven companies — places where design is a form of respect, not decoration.
The practice is
The practice is not
03
The voice is dry, direct, occasionally funny without announcing it. It states things. It does not over-explain. It uses the em dash a lot. Parentheticals that land like asides at a dinner party. No buzzwords, no "leveraging," no "passionate about."
The tone moves professional → warm. Never professional → corporate. Deadpan is fine. Cold isn't.
In practice — Describing work
Lead with what the work did, not what it looked like. State the outcome. Skip the adjectives.
In practice — Introducing yourself
Specific over general. A real detail beats a category every time. Self-deprecating only when it's also true.
In practice — Setting terms
Direct without being blunt. State what something is for, not what it isn't. One sentence does more than three.
Write like this
Never like this
04
The mark echoes 木 — a root-line that suggests foundation, growth, and origin without spelling it out. It operates in two modes: full mark and ghost/transparency variant. Both are valid. Neither is decorative.
The aesthetic direction is Banksy-adjacent: wit in restraint. Precision that implies intelligence. Nothing added that isn't structural.
Texture references: parchment, ink, redline. Not polished. Not raw. Considered.
05
The logo gradient is the full palette. You don't need more. Use the others sparingly — let them earn their place.
Teal #1B9F93 is the primary. It does the most work — CTAs, accents, active states, hover. The gradient appears as an atmospheric element: section backgrounds, aurora effects, wayfinding. Never as decoration.
06
Source Sans 3. Weight 300 for body. Weight 900 for headings. Nothing in between unless it earns it. Never serif for UI. Serif may be considered for long-form editorial work one day — not yet.
Smile. Shine.
Curated body of work (2006–2013)
A working practice built on systems thinking, cultural awareness, and twenty years of making things that didn't exist before.
Visual Communication · Systems Design
07
If forced to name a character: Edna Mode, if Edna occasionally went on hikes and genuinely cared about the people she dressed. Extremely competent. Zero patience for mediocrity. Occasional dry one-liner that lands harder than expected. Completely herself, whether you're keeping up or not.
The warmth is real. It just doesn't lead with itself.