Part 2: When You Know, You Know

The winning path is clear: design literacy as a cultivated mindset, not another acquired skill—embedded in every role from engineering to sales. Teams that embrace this will take risks to build cultures where authentic expression outweighs safe choices, conviction beats consensus, and craft is prioritized more than algorithmic smoothness. This does... See more

Building a brand identity is like composing a soundtrack for a film. You must find ways to touch on the same themes, while still introducing variations and inventive ways to create an atmosphere – in our case, the rich universe of a brand.

I often think and write about the importance of “world building” in today’s mixed-media reality: Brands have more control than ever over where and how consumers experience their point of view, from digital feeds and properties to packaging design and retail merchandising. And with that comes many new opportunities to build emotional texture.