MUTI

Hi! Tell us about MUTI – who's on the team and what was the catalyst that led you to create the studio? How did you get to where you are today?

Howzit! We're currently a team of 18, including our producer, two full-time animators, and a crew of illustrators who somehow manage to be both hugely talented and genuinely good humans. When we started MUTI, the goal was always to grow into a proper studio — we loved the energy and collaboration that comes from working side-by-side with like-minded creatives. We didn't set out to build something this big, but the journey's been a good one so far. It's all down to the team — loads of talent, no egos, and a shared love of the craft.

How would you describe your design style and how has it changed over time?

MUTI started with a mix of styles from the three founders, and that variety has always been part of our approach. As more illustrators have joined the team, we've leaned into that even more — encouraging everyone to explore and develop styles that resonate with them. Exploration is a big part of the culture here. It keeps the work fresh and allows us to adapt and evolve. As the team grows, so does the range of our portfolio — we're always looking for new ways to approach a brief and create work that stands out.

MUTI is based in Cape Town, South Africa - can you tell us about the local design community?

Cape Town has a strong creative scene — from advertising and film to art and design, there's no shortage of talent here. That's definitely played a part in how our team has grown. When you've got that kind of skill on your doorstep, growing a studio happens fairly naturally.

Your team has worked on projects from lettering to icons, animation, and illustration for a wide range of clients including Google, Airbnb, Nike, Apple, and Redbull. What makes a memorable, impactful design?

Authenticity and passion are the driving forces behind memorable work. When you believe in the work you're creating it will shine through and the result will resonate with the audience.

What's your creative process like? How do you take an idea from concept to delivery?

Depending on the scope of the project, it may be an individual or a team of artists working together. It always starts with pencil and paper: brainstorming, jotting down ideas, small sketches. From there we'll put together a mood board to guide the style and aesthetic. Next we'll work on digital sketches and a style test which we'll get approved by the client. Then we get stuck into the rendering and will typically share around three rounds of progress with the client before the final artwork is signed off.

How does your team approach creative collaboration with each other? With clients?

What's great about a team is we're able to discuss work and bounce ideas off each other. It's really valuable and saves so much time when you can just grab a few people and get some feedback or opinions on a design. It also develops your confidence as a designer, to hold opinions on someone's work and to be confident to voice your ideas.

As far as clients go, we share work all through the development so they are part of the process and can give feedback early on. Clients get a bad reputation but if you manage the process well everyone can be happy with the end result.

Do you have any favorite tools or resources? Where do you find creative inspiration?

It might sound silly but a sketchbook and clutch pencil are pretty underrated tools these days. It's where you can be free to experiment without being precious, where you come up with concepts and solve compositions. Every designer needs them!

We're incredibly lucky to be in a studio of talented creatives and ideas are constantly sparking; you're surrounded by people developing visuals in a myriad of styles. It's inspiring to see this on a weekly basis and it gives you the drive to push your work and inspire others in turn. We all get to feed off each other's creative energy.

What's been one of your favorite projects to work on so far?

We always enjoy self-initiated projects because they give us the freedom to explore new styles and creative directions without limitations. That said, we also love seeing our work applied to real-world products. One of our favorite recent projects is a Tarot deck we're currently illustrating for a client. It's a huge undertaking—78 highly detailed cards—but incredibly rewarding, and we can't wait to see the final product in print.

What's one of the biggest career lessons you've learned as a team?

One of the biggest lessons we've learned as a team running a creative studio is that communication is just as important as creativity. In the beginning, we focused heavily on perfecting our craft, but we quickly realized that even the best ideas can fall flat without clear and timely communication—with clients and our own team. We've learned to manage expectations, and treat every project as a partnership rather than just a service. That shift has made our creative process more collaborative and our studio much stronger.

What advice would you give to new designers just starting out on their own career journeys?

Your best asset will always be strong work—so invest most of your time and energy into building a standout portfolio.

Quality matters far more than quantity; it's always better to showcase a small selection of your strongest pieces.

Be persistent. If you don't hear back after reaching out to a company, don't be discouraged. Follow up, be creative, and tailor each message specifically to the company you're contacting—it shows genuine interest and sets you apart.

Make it easy for people to view your work. Present yourself professionally with a clean, accessible online presence—whether that's a personal website or a Dribbble profile. People are more likely to engage with a portfolio that's easy to navigate and quick to access.

What are you working on now and what's up next for you?

Over the past few years, we've been traveling to the U.S. for creative conferences, leading workshops and giving talks. It's been an incredibly inspiring way to connect with clients and fellow creatives. Right now, we're preparing for the Creative Works Conference in New York this October—an event we're really looking forward to, as it keeps us closely connected to the industry and sparks fresh ideas for our studio.

To view more of Studio MUTI's work, visit their website or Dribbble profile.

MUTI was nominated by Dribbble. All artwork courtesy of MUTI.