My Method

Brand Audit
The start of every project for an existing brand is a deep-dive into the current manifestation and positioning of that brand. How does the brand represent itself visually and verbally? What are the key elements of the brand that are unmistakable, interesting or strategically important? What are the demands and wishes of the client? These are questions that will be answered during this initial phase of the project.

Analysis & Exploration - Opportunities
With the knowledge of the brand's current positioning and manifestation, it is time to take a closer look at the place of the brand in the market. Where is this market or industry going and how does the brand grow with it? What are the competitors and how can we differentiate from them? What can we learn from the competition? Benchmarking activities and trends analysis are at the core of this part of the process with one clear goal: finding opportunities for the brand to flourish, now and in the future.

Brand Objectives & Development Plan
All the insights and information gathered lead to the next part of the project in which the scope and direction is defined. The synthesis of the two paths we walked until now: where are we and where do we want to go? Together we define the strategic opportunities that are right for the brand and develop the detailed brief for the rest of the project. The project scope, creative brief, project stages and the deliverables are clearly defined before moving forward. That way, we ensure that the outcome of the project is relevant and a successful answer to the brief.

Brand Strategy
This is the first part of the creative process. It is the synthesis of all information gathered into the creation of a solid foundation for the 'brand house'. This is the basis for all work to follow and has to be strong, recognisable, unique and sustainable. With this, the verbal part of the brand experience is defined. The foundation for the brand house. It consists of:

Brand Positioning | Tone of voice | Brand pillars | Audience & Personas | Mission | Vision | Reason of Being | Value Proposition | Manifest | Claim

With the brand strategy unquestionably strong and unique, it is time to enter the next phase of the brand development process: translating verbal to visual. How do we visualise the brand message?

Creative Exploration
The first part of this phase is the creative exploration. The brand house acts as the starting point, because everything that needs to be created is supportive of that. This part of the process is very much a back and forth between me and the client. In collaborative sessions, I get an understanding for the creative direction and design language that is needed. This is also an opportunity to share ideas early in the process, when everything is still very much open and everything is possible. At this stage, crazy ideas are what we are looking for, so that later we can find the right bridge from the existing to the new.

Creative Direction
After exploring all possibilities, it is time to find direction and work towards a curated selection of possible paths to take. The goal is to find the right strategic direction that will help the brand reach the desired positioning and that supports the brand house in the best possible way.

Creative Selection
The most promising directions are chosen to develop further. Usually this means that two different creative concepts are developed further to better understand their potential. What is certain is that these concepts are a strong manifestation of the brand and come with a solid strategic rationale.

Brand Concept Development
The selected creative concepts are developed into a comprehensive brand concept. This means that examples of the implementation of the concept are made for the client to see what the result of the project will be like.

Final Concept Selection
Now the time has come to decide on the final direction: the selection of the new brand concept. We agree on the full list of deliverables once again. After this, the complete development of the brand identity is started.

Macro Brand Identity
The first part of the brand concept development is the macro brand identity. These are the building blocks for the brand house, that rest on the foundation made by the brand strategy. The macro brand identity includes all the elements that are used to express the brand strategy visually:

Hero Brand Graphic | Logotypes | Colour Palette | Typography | Iconography & Illustrations | Brand Elements Usage | Imagery / Visual Guidelines

Brand Universe Guidelines
To finalise this phase, the Brand Universe is created. This is the place where the brand strategy and identity come together and are presented for everyone to understand and use them. We decide together which solution works best for your brand, whether it is an interactive PDF document or an online, cloud-based web solution. One thing is for sure, the result is a crystal clear and comprehensive representation of the all the building blocks that the brand can use to represent itself, both verbally and visually.

The last phase is the implementation phase. With the brand universe clearly defined, it is time to design the brand experience. No matter where or how a person interacts with your brand, the experience should support the brand strategy, goals, beliefs, story... I divide this work into two categories.

Visual Design
This includes all graphic design work that the brand uses, both on- and offline. Every single touchpoint that you have with your customers needs to be curated and supportive of the brand's message. Below you can find some examples of the work that falls into this category.

Social Media Visuals | Editorial Design | Corporate Assets | Print Work | Advertisements | Newsletters / eDMs | Magazines | Letters | Slide Decks | Invitations | Banners | NFTs

Experiential Design
A brand only really comes to life when you can experience it with all the senses. During events, in a showroom or when using the product itself, the experience should be consistent and beautifully executed. Brands like Apple, Polestar, Hermes and Nike have perfected this approach over the years. In the modern world where we are dealing with a constant stream of information and impressions, this is where brands can make the biggest difference. Through beautifully designed environments, the perfect material selection to tell a story, gifts and keepsakes that support the brand's values and a welcoming experience whenever the client is in contact with the brand, that is what the experiential part is all about.

Brand Spaces: Showrooms, Event Spaces, Branded Lounges | Mood Development | Colour, Material & Finish Design | Custom Furniture | Signage | Metaverse / Web 3.0 | Gifting & Keepsakes | Sonic & Olfactory Experience