Lego Pain & Startup Gains

Strap in. It’s a wild ride.

Imagine stepping on a Lego and letting out a raw, primal roar—maybe a slightly different pitch, but with the same intensity as Hozier’s yell. That’s the kind of unchecked energy that’s been building at issho.

I was newly pregnant when I first joined issho, with no idea of the roller coaster I had just signed up for—both in life and in work. Three years later, in the thick of startup life and parenthood, the parallels between these two seemingly separate journeys are undeniable. Both journeys start tender and unseen, growing silently before they begin to show. At first, the signs are subtle—a bump beginning to show, a sketch transforming into a rendering—but soon the growth becomes undeniable.

Starting from scratch, it’s been a challenge to build a brand that truly meets people where they are. On the surface, the practical answer is simple: offering beautiful new homes to some, and smaller, more approachable pieces, like those in our store, to others. But our ethos runs deeper.

From the outside, it may look like we’re breaking the cardinal rule of marketing by trying to appeal to everyone. In reality, it’s about honoring the paradoxes that define people’s lives, and searching for the single thread that ties them together. Because the people who have found their way into the fold of issho vary wildly. And beautifully.

Building the Brand

It’s rare in a design process for the first iteration of anything to be the version that’s selected. It usually takes multiple rounds of revisions, edits, and critiques before the final product takes shape. That’s not the case for our logo. Our logo came together quickly, one because we needed a logo, and secondly, it just naturally fell into place.

That initial logo laid the foundation for what has become a trailblazing, generative brand. On the surface, you see logos and photos—but what lies behind the curtain is what gives our brand real meaning. It’s in the language and imagery we use to make complex subjects click, the strategy of when and how everything is presented, the stories we strive to tell, and the culture of trust we’re working to build.

issho was built on the principle of creating homes and spaces that give more than they take—homes that are generative and life-giving. Our entire brand ecosystem is designed with this same intent. In a world overflowing with content, we want every interaction to evoke the same feeling as stepping into one of our Habitats, exploring a revamped Revive project, or using our products. From our website and content to ads, emails, and everything in between, our goal is to spark creativity and bring life to anyone who encounters it.

It’s been just over two years since that first logo was released into the world. What began as a small bump—a sketch turning into a rendering—has since grown into something far greater. Much like motherhood, issho has forever altered my life, unfolding and challenging me in ways I never could have anticipated.

There’s something both terrifying and exhilarating about knowing a piece of you now lives in the world. To steward and guide both—brand and child—has become one of the defining privileges of my life.

—Jacey Korus
Creative