Research,
interface,
systems
One studio
from brief
to release
Designed for the people using it
Tessel & Rook combines research on how a business works with design that people understand on first use.
Most projects start with a question rather than a brief. We spend the first weeks with the people who will use the product, write down what they need, and only then draw. That order keeps the work small and the decisions easy to explain.
Art directionProduct design
The studio works between art direction and product design. We do not look for safety in convention, and we do not trade clarity for style. The aim is products with a clear purpose and an interface that keeps out of the way.
Process
- ADiscovery
- BDefinition
- CDesign
- DDevelopment
- ERelease
- FSupport
We measure work by what it does for the client: enquiries, sign-ups, time saved. Recognition from juries follows from that, and it has given our clients a place in several design annuals.
Industry recognitions
- Folio DailySite of the day × 4
- Folio DailyHonorable mention × 7
- Northline AwardWinner - App design
- Screen AnnualBronze - Interface design
- Type & FormBest app design
- Grid Index× 6
- Grid IndexFront page
- Pixel Register× 6
- LineworkFeatured
- Open Frame PrizeFeatured
Clients
"Working with the studio was calm and exact. They asked about the prints before they asked about the website, and every decision had a reason I could repeat to my own clients. Three years on, the site still works the way it did on launch day."
"They rebuilt our site around how we actually show films to clients. The reel index cut our pitch preparation from a day to an hour, and the dark mode is now the default in every meeting room."
"Four schemes, one system. Sales teams use the floor-plan viewer on site visits, and the brochures and hoardings finally look like the same company made them."
Services
Research & strategy
- Brand & product strategy
- Brand & product positioning
- Competitive & market analysis
- User research
- Customer journey mapping
- Usability testing
- User interviews
- Persona development
- Information architecture
Design
- Art direction
- User experience design
- Web & product design
- Customer experience design
- Conversion rate optimisation
- Wireframing & prototyping
- Interaction & motion design
- Design systems
- E-commerce design
Engineering
- Custom development
- CMS integration
- Webflow development
- Headless builds
- Shopify development
- SEO & accessibility
- Analytics & tracking
- Quality assurance
- Maintenance & support
Studio founder
Aurel Tessel, founder of Tessel & Rook, worked as an art director at advertising agencies in Lisbon and Oslo before leading digital teams for clients in property, music and retail. With a background in psychology and typesetting, he started the studio to work directly with owners, founders and artists.
Studio
Shelf- Margins and MeasuresIlse Brandt
- The Patient GridCorin Wahl
- Notes on UsePieter Laan
- Small RoomsHedda Moll
- The Quiet PressAnsel Grieve
- A Line of TypeRuth Okonedo-Hale
- Common ObjectsFaye Lindqvist
- On WaitingBram Ostler
- Paper MapsOda Sverre