Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Industrial Design from Sweden
Left: Poster campaign for the tour premiere for Axwell ^ Ingrosso at Governors Ball in New York 2014. Posters revealed lyrics of the upcoming single release, On My Way. Right: Brand identity for OXID Bar x Mat, a gold medalist at the Swedish Design Awards 2020.
Sustainable and conceptual design Keep it clever. Keep it clear. Creating a sustainable brand identity is the secret behind Swedish design agency Acid and Marble’s fresh approach. Their ten years in the business are testimony to the business idea that has brought about collaborations with world famous DJs, renowned restaurants and exciting and up-and-coming brands. By John Sempill | Photos: Acid and Marble
Chances are you’ve already seen the duo’s work. If you haven’t, you may have come across it while listening to a dance track by former Swedish House Mafia DJs Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello, or Alesso, to name a few. For Mia Askerstam Nee and Antonio Vergara Alvarez, the creative masterminds behind Stockholm-based design agency Acid and Marble, it’s all about amplifying a client’s voice by strengthening their business benefits. “We are a small design agency in big packaging,” says Askerstam Nee. “We are conceptual in everything we take on. A project or a job is never better than the idea behind it, regardless of how well the execution might have been. We always strive to work sustainably, with a longterm view so that it won’t feel out-dated after a few years.” 24 | Issue 137 | December 2021
Even the company name has a deeper and more sustainable backstory than at first glance. Two minds means bigger ideas – Acid and Marble represents the balance between the two. “Acid is for Antonio, who usually takes the creative and conceptual process a few steps further,” explains Askerstam Nee. “He doesn’t seem to have a creative limit. He’s experimental and as much an art director as a designer.” That leaves us with the other half, Marble, or Askerstam Nee. She ties the knots together. “She’ll gather and concretise ideas, and put together a guideline,” adds Vergara Alvarez. “She has a huge interest in conceptualisation and typography, and perfection. She makes sure the projects have a persistent quality from idea to execution. We are both creators and designers, which means we have two different expressions and back-
grounds. We wanted our company name to capture our personal expressions.” Baby steps Acid and Marble took its first steps in 2011. The arrival of their first child meant they had to put the firm temporarily on hold, before bringing it back full steam in 2014. “When our working day starts, we disconnect our relationship,” says Askerstam Nee. “Even if we are in the middle of an argument!” Their approach and unique touch on everything they put their hands on have led to commissions from all over the globe. They describe their style as modern, high-end, minimalistic. “That is probably a result of the clients we have,” explains Vergara Alvarez. “We always try to look at the business benefit for our client. We aim to land in something that feels new, but still sustainable. We try to find a nerve and still be as clean as possible in our ideas and expression, without any clutter.” “We see our projects as collaborations,” continues Askerstam Nee. “We want our
