The NP. mark is “deliberately simple”, focusing on a character that comes from its behaviour rather than its look. “It often overlays imagery, not to obscure but to create another layer of meaning. It becomes both a window and a veil, echoing how identity functions online – always present, always mediated,” says Natasha. The colour system is bright and “contrasty”, creating tension and urgency, and feels almost provocative in the way it is stamped over images. Built on Mozilla’s own topographic family, it’s large, direct and “a little awkward” says Natasha, holding the energy of a headline and the immediacy of the editorial.
“The graphic language relies on solid blocks, borders, and framing devices that recall the architecture of the web,” continues the designer. “In composition, these elements act almost editorially: punctuating, containing, commenting. The art direction leans into contrast rather than harmony.” The friction and personality of the mark is what gives the site a ton of its personality, promising an edgier and more awakened point of view on internet culture.
“The visual world moves between lo-fi and hi-fi, between sincerity and irony,” says Natasha. “It borrows from early internet vernacular – pop-ups, chat windows, browser bars – and treats them as contemporary folklore.” It’s a purposeful diversion from “seamless execution”, to embrace interruption as a part of the human mark on the fabric of the internet. Nothing Personal’s editor Bourree Lam sums it up: “Technology in the media can often be portrayed as something intimidating, through illustration we want to re-emphasise that people are the subjects not the objects.” Welcoming the DIY glitchiness of the internet, this editorial platform seeks to cut off the fat and make people laugh at the same time as challenging us to wise up to the tricks of the crooked companies and brands that use the internet to push their agendas.