Ljubljana to do
Ljubljana is a small, beautiful, and walkable city where everything unfolds at a human pace. This is my short list of what’s a must if you’re here for a day or two — from the riverside stroll along the Ljubljanica, to the layered architecture shaped by Jože Plečnik, to the mix of cafés, galleries, and hidden courtyards that reward slow exploration. It’s not about rushing between landmarks, but about taking time to notice the details that make the city quietly unique.
Where I go for a coffee:
Črno zrno
Tiny, almost hidden. Coffee as ritual, not product. Minimal space, maximum focus — you go here to reset your senses.
Cafetino
More classic and layered. A place to sit longer, observe people, and feel the city’s rhythm.
What you don’t wanrt to miss:
Tiporenesansa
A working letterpress studio. Pure tactile design — ink, paper, craft. A reminder of where typography comes from.
Cukrarna
Contemporary art in a raw industrial shell. Big, quiet, and spatially powerful — more about atmosphere than objects.
Ljubljana Castle
Not just a landmark — a viewpoint to understand the city’s scale and structure.
Gornji trg
One of the most beautiful streets. Slow, historic, almost cinematic — details everywhere. And my studio is there.
Center Rog
New creative hub. Makers, labs, exhibitions — where contemporary Ljubljana experiments.
Where we go for a beer:
Tozd
Hybrid café/bar. Relaxed, slightly rough around the edges — creative crowd, no pressure.
Beli Volk
Natural wine, intimate vibe. Feels like a secret you share with a few people.
Lajbah
Craft beer spot with a local pulse. Social, unpretentious, always alive.
Daktari
A bit eclectic, a bit nostalgic. Music, atmosphere, and a slightly chaotic charm.
Some really good food:
Veganika
Playful vegan comfort food. Bright, casual, and surprisingly indulgent.
Maha
Calm, mindful, almost spiritual approach to food. Slow eating, clean ingredients.
Breg
Right by the river. A balance of location and solid cuisine — easy, reliable.
Moji Štruklji Slovenije
Traditional Slovenian dish done right. Simple, authentic, rooted.
Gostilnica 5–6 kg
More contemporary, slightly elevated. Good example of modern local dining.
A little bit of shopping:
Oliviers & Co
For ingredients — olive oils, flavors, sensory details. Design through taste.
Gud Shop
Curated Slovenian design objects. A small window into the local creative scene.
Probably I forgot something and will add it later. Feel free to remind me 🙂
Ljubljana to do
Kdo smo in kako delamoDon’t miss the next essay. Signup for our newsletter
⸻ Newsletter signup
Redesign
Brand redesign is one of the most misused terms in the industry. Studios pitch full rebuilds when a type adjustment would do; clients request "a refresh" when the underlying system is broken beyond repair. We've worked through both scenarios enough times to know the difference isn't aesthetic — it's structural, and getting it wrong is expensive.
Black and white
Black and white design is where we start every project — not as a stylistic preference, but as a structural test. If a mark, layout, or identity doesn't hold in two tones, it won't survive color, scale, or time. Black and white design is the first filter, and for us, it's often the only one that matters.
Pitch
Design pitch process is where most projects are quietly won or lost — long before any visual work begins. We've spent twenty years watching good briefs collapse under vague expectations, misaligned goals, and the false assumption that both sides are speaking the same language. Getting the design pitch process right isn't a formality; it's the actual work.
Dear Client
Dear client design isn't a letter we wrote lightly. We've been doing this since 2004 — 128 projects, 80+ awards, and more than a few relationships that taught us exactly where the work breaks down. Dear client design starts with a conversation most studios avoid having out loud.
We use craft in every project. Not as decoration. Not as nostalgia. As a way of thinking.
Craft in design thinking is how we structure every decision we make — not what it looks like at the end, but how the problem gets interrogated from the start. We've been working this way since 2004. Craft in design thinking means slowing down where other studios speed up, and knowing exactly why.
What Does a Branding Agency Actually Do?
What does a branding agency do — and what separates the ones worth hiring from the ones who just make things look nice? We've been answering that question through work since 2004. What does a branding agency do at its best: it builds the strategic and visual foundation a business can actually stand on.
Are we artists or designers?
Artists vs designers — it's a question we've been asked at every client meeting, award jury, and late-night studio argument since 2004. The honest answer is neither, or both, depending on what the brief demands. What we've learned after 81 logos and 80+ awarded projects is that the real distinction isn't about medium or ego — it's about intent and accountability.
The Worst Kind of Project
Unrealized design projects are, without question, the worst thing that happens to a studio. Not the difficult client. Not the impossible brief. The work you believed in completely — refined, presented, defended — that simply never saw the light. We've built 81 logos and collected over 80 awards, and still, it's the unrealized design projects that occupy the most space in the room.