DSIN Studio.

DSIN was my first design studio, and I built its identity from scratch: naming, logo, website, social media pieces, verbal identity, a mascot, a brand manual and its own merchandising line. All under a single philosophy: to stand out in a saturated market with a deliberately unconventional identity.

It wasn't a client brief: it was my own brand, and that gave me the freedom to take risks. DSIN is, at its core, the seed of what I now call Brand Engineering: treating the brand as a complete system.

The concept breaks with formal, solemn communication: an elegant image without the need to be serious. While the competition leaned on sober, geometric and minimalist branding to earn credibility, I decided to step away from that current and open up a niche of differentiation that defines the brand and, on top of that, tells a story.

The visual language draws on what I called "the city of sin": vintage tobacco ads, perfume advertising, casino aesthetics and an abyssal universe in the initial moodboard. Out of that comes a mischievous yet appealing personality — memorable and distinct, designed for the millennial entrepreneur.

The narrative places the services in a universe inspired by the seven deadly sins. Each sin corresponds metaphorically to a target industry, which allows for tailored messages without ever breaking the story or the playful tone.

DSIN is born from "Design", deconstructed to bring out its core: "sin". It evokes the human attraction to desire and fascination, and symbolizes boldness and a people-centered creativity.

It keeps the essential phonetics of "Design" while removing redundancies, so it's short and memorable, and flexible enough to adapt to languages, platforms and formats. Later the name was reinterpreted as an acronym, Systematized Design of Identity in Business, reinforcing its strategic positioning.

The logo conveys power and play in equal measure with a red and black palette: passion and sophistication. The letters (especially the pronounced curves of the D, the S and the N) are balanced by sharp edges that add intrigue and a hint of danger.

But the weight of the curved shapes softens the message: it makes it approachable and friendly without losing the mischievous touch. The devil's horns and tail round off the nod to "sin" without falling into the intimidating.

The merchandising is inspired by casino aesthetics. The business cards were designed as poker cards: synthesized patterns that form hearts, spades, diamonds and clubs, built exclusively from basic geometric shapes: triangles, circles and rhombuses.

Demi, from "demon", is the brand's playful guide for clients and users: a charismatic character who balances mischief with approachability. An oversized head (a cartoonish, friendly touch that softens his "devilish" nature), a formal suit, a discreet devil's tail and big, expressive eyes. Red and black, like the brand.

His great asset is versatility: Demi changes outfit and accessories according to the concept he represents, embodying each branding and marketing idea: from scientist in viral marketing to angel investor, detective in mystery shopping, sniper in targeting, headhunter, lover in a lovemark or ninja in ambush marketing. In fact, each costume named a term, and together they worked as an illustrated marketing glossary.

The brand manual was developed as an interactive PDF with QR codes and links on every page, giving access to the essential resources (logos, templates, palettes). A practical approach that turns it into a living, accessible tool rather than a dead document.

Its technical, systematic structure led it to evolve into a "Brand Engineering Manual": a more integral approach to building visual and verbal identity. That same logic inspired rereading DSIN as an acronym, Systematized Design of Identity in Business, and it is, literally, the seed of how I work today.

The website carries the identity onto the screen with the poker cards as a recurring element. The claim, "Be a true ACE with your brand", links the ace of the deck with the idea of standing out and being exceptional. Dark wood tones for a rustic, elegant feel, and textures that keep the warm, human touch: an eye-catching website true to DSIN's bold personality.

DSIN is a practical brand, with a solid foundation and a dynamic design that combines functionality and creativity. As a first studio, it taught me that a memorable identity is earned by telling a coherent story at every touchpoint: from the naming to the mascot, from the manual to the website.

That "treating the brand as a system" (with its engineering manual, its narrative and its reusable logic) is the direct root of the Brand Engineering I practice today.