Design Matters – Ed.15 October 24
Happy Halloween!
With 2024 flying past, we have been celebrating October and the first 12 months since we rebranded our agency as The Discourse. The rebrand has proven to be a great success. Our team, our processes, and even our offices have all evolved – and, as designers, we’ve watched our brand mature right alongside these changes.
At the Skills4Startups roadshow this month, we were reminded how challenging it can be for new businesses to find their footing. Many struggle to stay afloat in the early years, which makes us especially grateful to be here, continuing to grow as we approach our 5th year (officially) in business.
Evolution is essential in business – and at this milestone, we were reminded of something Charles Darwin famously said: “the species that survives is the one that is able best to adapt and adjust to the changing environment in which it finds itself.” This idea of adapting to change isn’t just for nature though, these ideas are also important for design and business. It’s become a guiding principle for us.
Like many agencies, we’re often so focused on delivering work for our clients that finding time to assess and develop our own brand has been tough. But the reality is that our brands need to evolve with the people behind them.
This month, we’re sharing insights on how we’ve adapted over the last few years, from developing our brand audit toolkit, to our founder’s talk at the Skills4Startups roadshow about his journey, to the evolving brands in different sectors we look to for inspiration.
There’s a lot to be said (and done) about evolving in an ever-changing world. We hope you enjoy our reflections and insights this month.
The Discourse Team
Our Recent Insights:
First impressions count, and that’s as true for businesses as it is for individuals. While we’re often told not to judge a book by its cover, the reality is that people do – especially when it comes to brands. In fact, research shows that 55% of how people perceive a brand comes from its visual presentation, proving that what’s on the outside often speaks volumes before the inside even gets a chance (Exploding Brands, 2024)
We’ve created a checklist to help you evaluate your own brand as it evolves. Find out more here.
The DIY Designer
When we talk about brands evolving, it’s not just about us and those in our ecosystem – every brand is going through it, including the big players and household names we all know. We wanted to highlight some of our favourite recent brand redesigns, as they give us a glimpse into where brands are heading and the trends shaping the future.
The rebranding aimed at revitalising the company’s identity, catering to a changing clientele and forward-looking expansion plans. Even with the changes, the iconic red-and-white logo and deli signs remain, showcasing a balance between tradition and innovation.
Bose’s recent rebrand preserves its authentic identity but introduces an eight-color palette inspired by musical notes. This updated visual storytelling aligns with the evolving tastes of Bose’s audience, enhancing the brand’s connection with contemporary customers.
A complementary colour palette of warm, inviting tones enhanced the flexibility and depth of Kleenex’s visual identity. This balanced update stayed true to the brand’s heritage while also infusing a fresh, contemporary feel into its design system for a new generation of consumers.
“The world is not a static place. People change, evolve.”
– Mahesh Bhatt
Work from the Agency
The team recently attended the WECIL Access All Areas event, a truly inspiring celebration of inclusivity. It was fantastic to see our work on WECIL’s impact report being read and enjoyed in person. The report has improved year on year, and it’s great to see how our approach to the project and the finished report has evolved and matured alongside WECIL’s incredible impact. Our new Marketing Assistant, Amber, was also busy capturing highlights from the speakers, workshops, and the wider event – the images above show some of the moments that she captured.
Think global...
PlantSea started in Aberystwyth with the idea of giving consumers a plastic free choice, gathering small amounts of seaweed from the shoreline to experiment with filmmaking. After plenty of trial and error, they discovered that this abundant natural resource could be used to create valuable alternatives to plastic. From these humble beginnings, they’ve grown into a leading force in biodegradable and compostable materials across various industries. They have pioneered a seaweed-based flexible film that holds both liquids and dry products. The film is 100 per cent biodegradable and can be used as a replacement for plastic laundry pods.
They also produce paper and card packaging which incorporate waste seaweed. This product can be recycled in a standard paper mill, and, in 2024, it became the first seaweed-based packaging to receive the OPRL Recycle label. They are currently selling charity cards as well, with proceeds going to Sea Trust Wales. Find out more about their innovative solutions to fight plastic pollution and charity cards through the link here.
Act Local...
The Royal Osteoporosis Society is the UK’s largest charity focused on improving bone health and defeating osteoporosis. We’ve been collaborating with them to revamp their fundraising resources, in order to provide fundraisers with the best support possible. This organisation is doing incredibly important work and offers plenty of inspiring ideas for those interested in starting their own fundraiser. Click the link here to discover how you can get involved!
Solutions for the planet:
As the climate crisis deepens, the direct negative consequences of AI on the world around us is a growing concern. This stems from the immense quantity of resources, such as electricity, water and raw materials, required to manufacture and run the infrastructure and hardware supporting such complex computations. Furthermore, what we do with AI-related hardware once it reaches the end of its life is an unanswered question.
In a recent Green Web Foundation Report Hannah Smith and Chris Adams have outlined five key topic areas you need to know if you’re thinking about, or already using, AI. Check out their article using the link here, to find out more.
In our spare time...
From Memes to Mayhem… The Discourse team have been watching Netflix’s new documentary The Antisocial Network, a chilling journey exploring the dark underbelly of online culture and its unintended consequences.
The film tackles a highly relevant issue, tracing the evolution of memes from silly jokes to tools for manipulation and the erosion of truth. Millennial interviewees, once active participants, offer a unique perspective on how their online actions spiralled out of control. The documentary masterfully weaves early internet memes with news clips and social media posts, creating a vivid timeline of events. It’s a really captivating and interesting watch that comes highly recommended from us.
