SEATED’s digital identity proves that texture, imperfection, and human touch still matter online. Explore a handcrafted website built from nothing.

SEATED is a New York–based culinary creative agency designing gastronomic experiences around the world, from intimate dinners and retreats to edible installations and festival pop-ups. When the project kicked off in March 2025, the brief was as blank as it gets. No website. No visual identity. No copy. Designer Valeriia had to start from scratch and let the visuals do the talking. The finished experience is now live at seated.nyc, and it’s anything but empty.

In a city where creative agencies often plate everything to glossy, pixel-perfect perfection, SEATED chose a different recipe. The goal was not polish for polish’s sake, but personality. The website leans into intuition, texture, and atmosphere, creating an experience that feels human rather than manufactured. You don’t need to read much to get it. One look and the message is already served.

A tactile take on digital design

The visual language is rich with handcrafted details. Pencil-textured illustrations. Handwritten reviews. Buttons that look like they were sketched, not stamped. A logo that shifts in texture. A subtle paper-grain background that gives the whole site a bit more bite. The centerpiece is a series of 33 collages built from hundreds of photographs, each one layered with splashes, drips, grain, and small imperfections that bring a sense of physicality to the screen.

This wasn’t a quick toss-and-mix. The process was highly collaborative, with Valeriia working closely with SEATED founder Lizaveta to develop and refine collages daily before locking in the final compositions. One of the biggest challenges was choosing a single visual direction from many strong options, ranging from tech-forward ideas to more experimental cut-and-paste approaches. Another was translating expressive desktop animations to mobile without losing their flavor. Tricky, but worth the effort.

Lizaveta’s reaction says it all:

“I’m so grateful. You get it 1000001 percent. I don’t know if there’s anyone on this planet who could understand my ten-minute voice messages explaining animations in sounds.”

Why this project matters

For Valeriia, SEATED marked a shift. Known for a more minimalist, structured approach with strong typography, this project opened the door to a looser, more intuitive creative language. One that balances clarity with emotion and proves that usability and feeling can share the same plate.

More than just a website, SEATED is a reminder that digital design doesn’t have to be cold, flat, or overly refined. Sometimes a little mess, texture, and human touch make the experience far more memorable. In a world of perfect grids, this project shows that imperfection still has great taste.

Take a seat and explore the full experience at seated.nyc.