SEO Title

A story is not a fairytale

May 11. 2023

In the endless jockeying for consumer attention, brands are in constant competition for differentiation.

Within this landscape there is no greater differentiator today than purpose; and narrative.

"Design is no longer the great differentiator it once was. Obviously, it’s still extremely important, but it can no longer carry the load on its own."

Most design that surrounds us is generally good but tragically, there is a sense we’ve seen it all before. From cafes to the internet, from banking to co-working spaces, design has become formulaic and predictable.

But, what once was the biggest factor in helping business stand out has ceased to be the biggest factor.

Design has become a standard and not a differentiator (except those rare cases when it’s truly exceptional and disruptive, or when it’s horribly off).

With more competition, less customer loyalty and constant technological innovation, business needs something else to stand out.

So, what now?

Brands need to dig deeper, find meaning and focus on their story, service, experience and value proposition. Not just the big ones, all of them.

Challenging the status quo

Most design studios purport to sell branding when in effect they are only selling design with a thin layer of brand strategy.

In reality, many if not most design-driven agencies sell trendy, contemporary aesthetic instead of creative business thinking that aims to win; to capture a long-term defendable market position.

While we believe in the power of exceptional design, we believe that strategy and purpose comes first. This will ultimately give the business a better chance of surviving and thriving.

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