The Future of Corporate Design in the Digital Age
Nico Wüst, Head of Design Systems at Strichpunkt Design, on five key ideas shaping the future of corporate design: simplicity, digital first, always beta, brand experience and inspiration.
From Complexity to Simplicity
Our lives are getting faster and more complex. This also applies to the different touch points with a brand. These are developing rapidly and become more complex. Well intentioned, often detailed brand design guidelines of today are the obstacles of tomorrow. Corporate design needs to be simpler — in fact, it needs to help simplify brand perception. Because only if we simplify, we create room for innovation.
From Print to Digital First
The appearance of a brand will in future be developed from a digital perspective. The adaptation to print and spatial communication is comparatively simple. Why? Because the most important touch points are digital. And because digital media are subject to permanent change and require much greater flexibility. Digital design changes responsive to the device, is animated, adapts to the interaction state, input and output interface. Language assistants, artificial intelligence, and aggregator communication will also greatly impact brand perception — the interface becomes the brand.
From Rules to Possibilities
Do we still need brand design guidelines today? For a long time, designers have argued for the principle of “less rules and more brand”. One thing is clear: in the future, corporate design has to be much more fluid in order to be able to grow with the constantly changing requirements — “always beta” is simply a necessity. It also requires that designers learn to let go and accept a certain degree of freedom. In practical terms, this means that overriding principles and inspirational examples replace rigid rules, thereby creating a lot of scope for vibrant diversity and exciting ideas.
From Appearance to Experience
The design is consistent? All rules have been respected? And it looks nice? In the branding of the future, the sole consideration of these aspects will no longer be sufficient. Because not only the appearance shapes and differentiates the brand, but the interaction with the same will play a major role: How does the brand feel? What can I do with it? And what is it doing with me? In the future, corporate designers will have to deal more intensively with topics such as interaction, behavior, service design, technology and content in order to create an overall brand experience.
From Uniformity to Inspiration
As brand strategists, we want consumers to identify with the brand and like it, use our products and services, and possibly entrust us with personal information? Ok, but there must be something in return! Customers want to communicate at eye level, but at the same time be entertained and inspired. Nothing is more boring than uniformity and repetitious statements. Similar to communication between people, there should still be a connection after two encounters. Therefore, it is important to create brands that stand out from others through their presence, that have character and tell stories that touch and inspire. This is already the case today, but will become even more important in the future.
This article originally appeared in a slightly modified form in the Corporate Design Competition yearbook 2017. All shown projects were developed by Strichpunkt.
STRICHPUNKT DESIGN is one of Germany’s most awarded design agencies based in Berlin, Stuttgart and Shanghai. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram to keep in touch with us and our latest work.
