BEFORE FORM

Branding studio focused on what comes before the visual.

BEFORE FORM

Branding studio focused on what comes before the visual.

Materia is an independent design studio where every project begins with understanding the brand from within, translating its ideas and character into identities, websites, and social media.

At Materia, beauty and purpose are never separate. The work can be visually compelling while remaining thoughtful and intentional, with every choice made for a reason and every element given a role.

The approach

1)
GET TO THE CORE

Every project begins from within: studying its story, perspective, what makes it different, and how people connect with it. These become the raw materials that guide the work.

2)
CHOOSE THE DIRECTION

Those raw materials are shaped into a clear creative direction, creating a foundation for the decisions that follow and keeping the work connected to the ideas behind it.

3)
GIVE IT FORM

The direction takes form across every touchpoint, from identity and web to social and beyond, creating work that feels cohesive, intentional, and true to the brand.

The human behind

ANDREA; PRONOUNCED AHN-DREH-AH.

I’m Andrea Valdés, a designer with a background in marketing and six years of experience in the creative industry. I founded the studio in 2022 with the belief that brands should be built with as much intention as beauty.

My practice has grown through working closely with each founder, taking the time to uncover the brand through conversations that feel human, where ideas are shared openly and the process feels smooth.

I was raised on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and am now based in British Columbia. Growing up around so much colour and character shaped the way I notice things. I’m super curious about the details that make a place, person or brand feel like itself.

I’m also a mom to a little boy named Kobe. Outside the studio, much of my world revolves around him, with design and ideas finding their way into the spaces in between.