oliviertalbot.works

Olivier Talbot works at the intersection of strategy, communication and design. He advises[1] clients in a variety of fields[2] to create narratives and communication tools that are clear, simple and sincere.

He is currently collaborating with several architecture firms (one practices project-based teaching, the other pushes for a sustainable approach). On the side, he’s developing Instruments[3], a personal project about tools used in outdoor activities and trying hard to curb his carbon emissions.

Availability : February 2025

  • [1]

    Identity, communication strategy, UX, information architecture, content strategy, writing.

  • [2]

    Architecture, art, consulting, carpentry, distribution, education, food and beverage, jewelry, publishing, private equity, software development, social economy, sports, start-ups, tourism, wealth management.

  • [3]

    https://instruments.supply

Projects list

  • Design notes

    The initial intention was to build an interface relying on text and text only to communicate. This frugal approach gives writing the center stage, facilitates the first-time use of the site and keeps the weight of the page low.

    The fonts, Untitled Sans and Untitled Serif from Klim “have a deliberate aesthetic of not being designed by anyone in particular” and are related to the ideas developed by Jasper Morisson and Naoto Fukasawa in Super Normal, an exhibition and book about beauty in everyday objects that I have found very touching.

    Images play a secondary role, as they are only visible if requested by the visitor. They complement the writing in a context initially set through reading.

  • Technology stack

    The site is based on a JAMstack architecture, using a series of specialized microservices : Sanity to manage content, Gatsby to generate the site and Netlify to deploy and host. This approach delivers high performances, lowers the risk of security breaches, keeps maintenance at a minimum and preverves content portability.

    Content management services that are “decoupled” or “headless”, and Sanity in particular, on top of making development easier, provide a lot of flexibility when it comes to designing the editing and publishing experience, making it possible to create custom workflows for any use case. Which is very nice, to say the least.

  • No data collection

    In a modest attempt to push against surveillance capitalism, and in response to the minimum data collection principle of the GDPR, this website does not collect any personal data nor place cookies—first or third party—when visited.

    Usage statistics are collected but Fathom, the analytics service, ensures they are anonymous. This approach protects privacy and incidentally improves performance and ultimately UX, as there is no cookie consent dialog.

    Speaking of privacy, The Social Dilemma, despite its irritating docudrama direction, is worth watching to understand what is at stakes with the collection of your data online.

  • Environmental responsibility

    I am committed to reducing the footprint of my activities, especially in terms of resource consumption and carbon footprint. In short, I follow the principles outlined by Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard in The Responsible Company, I’ll make sure to explain everything in an upcoming version of this website.

    I also dedicate 1% of my company’s revenue to funding NGOs who fight for environmental conservation.

    • 2023 : APSAS, Rivières Sauvages, FNE
    • 2022 : APSAS, Forêt Primaire, Rivières Sauvages
    • 2021 : Forêt Primaire
    • 2020 : Rivières Sauvages, LPO
    • 2019 : APSAS
    • 2018 : Mountain Wilderness
    • 2017 : Rewilding Europe

  • Legal notice

    Website published by Ars Longa Vita Brevis, EURL with a capital of 1000 €, 71 chemin des Lombards, 38250 Villard-de-Lans, France. SIREN: 813094455, VAT: FR30813094455. Hosting by Netlify, 610 22nd Street, Suite 315, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States.

    Design by Jad Hussein.

v2.2, latest update on 28.11.24 at 11:43:12