Inside Outline: the South Carolina studio bringing brands’ inner truth to life

Co-founder and creative director Ky Allport discusses the art of finding your discovery muscle, bringing the inside out, and committing to authenticity.

In a sun-drenched studio in Charleston, South Carolina, something remarkable is happening. Founded in 2017, Outline has quietly become one of the most intriguing brand studios in the American South, crafting identities that feel both timeless and distinctly contemporary. Under the guidance of co-founder and creative director Ky Allport, the studio has garnered attention from the likes of Vogue, The Today Show, Martha Stewart and Forbes.

But what sets Outline apart isn’t a signature style—quite the opposite. “At Outline, we’re really proud not to have a house style,” stresses Ky. We’ve worked with everyone from custom jewellery designers to fancy canned beans, organic cotton undies to chef-made hot sauces and Michelin-starred restaurants.”

The studio describes itself as ‘foundational’. “For us, that means getting that first phase right,” she clarifies. “Your visual brand world with a conceptual mark or custom wordmark. Supporting graphics, type, and colours that will work in the space. And guidelines that give you the tools to truly ‘own’ the brand beyond our immediate relationship.”

She adds that the same goes for brand strategy. “You’d have language and messaging at your disposal, but more importantly, you’d remember how and why we built your brand persona the way we did. From there, we often stay on for secondary phrases such as websites or brand applications, whether physical or digital extensions of the brand—anything like matchbooks or merch, or social templates or physical signage.”

Unlocking brand truth

At the heart of this approach is an unwavering commitment to authenticity. “We all come from different backgrounds,” explains Ky. “But what unites us is a sense of curiosity and the stubbornness to keep following our noses, keep going down rabbit holes with our clients.”

Importantly, these are rabbit holes with purpose. “We’re trying to bring the inside out,” she says. We hunt for authenticity because it’s the one thing that will make all the work greater than the sum of its parts. Once we have a kernel of perfect, beautiful, weird truth that connects to universal emotions, we can build a brand and tell a story in a way that resonates.”

This philosophy has led to a diverse work portfolio demonstrating the studio’s versatility. Recent projects showcase their ability to work across various sectors while maintaining a consistent level of thoughtful sophistication.

Recent projects

Take their work for The Dabney, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Washington, DC. The project coincided with a renovation and the transition to a prix fixe menu, requiring a complete reimagining of the dining experience. The result includes a sophisticated three-part, slotted dinner menu system featuring 18th-century artwork of the Potomac, accompanied by rich tones and tactile printing details.

For Subset, an organic cotton essentials company, Outline created a brand identity that masterfully balances warmth with sophistication. The system includes dynamic parentheses-inspired submarks and a flexible wordmark, complemented by surrealist-inspired art direction that brings the brand’s modern, monochromatic aesthetic to life.

One of their most comprehensive recent projects was Soprana, a rooftop woodfire pizza restaurant in Asheville. “The concept started with the name,” recalls Ky. “It’s an Italian-derived reference to being above; physically a call-out to the altitude and accompanying vista, but also a nod to their top-notch Italian-inspired cuisine.”

Consequently, the custom wordmark incorporated elements of rising dough and red sauce but also an upward motion, suggesting a pizza toss. “From there, our language and graphics melded; Alpine meets Appalachia, and we even consulted on interiors,” Ky adds. Diners are treated to menus, merch, coasters, signage, and even servers’ uniforms designed as part of the project.”

Clear communication

Their process is founded on clear communication from the outset. “We start by having a few conversations with our clients,” says Ky. “One of them is that there is no good or bad; instead, there is successful or unsuccessful. We also take a beat to explain the differences between constraints, circumstances and preferences.”

This pragmatic approach extends to their collaborative process. “Great ideas need sunshine!” says Ky. “Our co-creation philosophy extends from and within our office. Our designers and strategists often pass work back and forth – asking each other questions to strengthen the concept or cross-pollinating something entirely new.”

The same goes for client teams or other external partners. “We trust when they can see around corners and vet our ideas with those closest to the work.”

Navigating change

As the design industry grapples with technological change, Outline maintains a measured perspective. “We’re not the types to follow design trends, but we’ve always been into projects that are purpose-driven, altruistic in nature, and honour the environment, human body, and/or social fabric of our community,” Ky reflects. It’s rewarding to have more and more of those brands enquire about working together. That never goes out of style.”

On the subject of AI, they take a nuanced view. Ky describes the current challenge as: “Both deciding how, even whether, to integrate it into our workflows and to contend with a general public—or worse, clients—who think their prompts and the spit-up results are a replacement for literacy, creativity and humanity.”

That’s not to say there’s no utility in using artificial intelligence, though. “It’s a great gatherer of information; it works as a brain-jogger,” she concedes. “But the smartest user of AI is someone who already understands its limitations, who can interpret, edit, add nuance or think laterally.”

Looking forward

For emerging designers hoping to follow in Outline’s footsteps, Ky offers this advice. “Approach every project as if it were your dream project,” she urges. “Even if an industry doesn’t immediately feel like a natural fit, there’s always an opportunity to dig in and find something about it that lights you up. Flex that discovery muscle and pour your creative energy into it.

“Once you’re a bit more established,” she adds, “you’ll be able to feel out what’s a 100 per cent yes for you versus something to do between the projects you truly love. Either way, have pride in what you create! People might see it years down the road and give you a ring on a rainy day.”

It’s clear that Outline’s sense of pride in their work, along with a commitment to authenticity and purposeful design, remains unwavering. In a world of increasing automation and AI-generated content, this studio’s human-centred, deeply considered approach to brand building feels more vital than ever.