SO Dsgn at the Brand New Conference: Lessons in Building a Design Studio

Candace Solola takes the stage at one of the design industry’s most respected branding conferences, sharing the principles driving SO Dsgn’s success

In 2023, SO Dsgn was invited to take the stage at the Brand New Conference, a globally recognized platform dedicated to brand identity design. Hosted by UnderConsideration, the conference brings together some of the most influential voices in branding, with an audience of over 1,000 designers, strategists, and creative leaders.

Representing the studio, Candace Solola, Partner and Creative Director, shared the stage alongside teams from Nike, Collins, Ghost Note Agency, and TEMPLO. The invitation reflects the perspective SO Dsgn has built through its work, grounded in intention, collaboration, and a multidisciplinary approach to brand and product design.

Her talk, From Passion to Practice: Lessons in Building a Studio, focused on the principles that have shaped how SO Dsgn thinks, builds, and continues to grow.‍ ‍

Pursue Passion. But Be Strategic.

Strong studios are not built by waiting for the right opportunities. They are built by creating them.

At SO Dsgn, one of the most intentional decisions has been how the studio defines the work it puts into the world. Alongside client engagements, the team develops studio-led concepts that explore ideas without constraint while setting a clear standard for what the studio wants to be known for.

Each piece of work is created with purpose. It demonstrates how the studio thinks, how ideas are translated into form, and the level of craft brought to every detail. At the same time, it signals the type of clients and challenges the studio is built to take on. This approach allows SO Dsgn to actively shape its trajectory, positioning the studio not just as an executor of work, but as an author of it.

Partnership Multiplies Possibility

SO Dsgn was built on partnership from the start.

Founded by Candace and Rotimi Solola, the studio brings together two distinct design disciplines, brand and industrial design, structured as equal parts of the business. This balance is central to how the studio operates and what sets it apart. By working across disciplines, SO Dsgn approaches challenges with a broader perspective, creating work that is more connected, more considered, and more impactful.

The result is a studio model where partnership is not just foundational. It is a multiplier of capability.

Trust the Process & Leverage your Strengths

Process at SO Dsgn is not adopted. It is built, refined, and led with intention.

The studio’s approach is grounded in experience, drawing from years of leading and shaping global brand and product work, where clarity, consistency, and execution at scale are essential. That foundation, combined with the realities of building an independent studio, has shaped a process that is both strategic and deeply rooted in craft.

Over time, that experience sharpens instinct. It creates clarity in decision making and confidence in navigating complexity. Even when the path forward is not immediately clear, the team trusts the process it has built to guide the work. It is what allows SO Dsgn to move with intention and deliver outcomes that are thoughtful, cohesive, and built to last.

“We don’t wait for the right work. We create it. And by doing so, we have the power to define what our studio becomes known for.”

The ideas shared on stage reflect how SO Dsgn approaches every engagement. The studio builds with intention, designs across disciplines, and relies on a process shaped through experience to create work that holds meaning and drives impact.