Background
As part of my team's Innovation Pipeline, I proposed a structured approach to evolving how we explore and apply the brand beyond rigid guidelines – while maintaining governance and consistency.
Challenge
Exploratory design often ended as isolated projects, limiting our ability to spot patterns, provide informed brand advice, or efficiently collaborate with agencies.
Solution
I introduced a two-part framework:
Flexible Branding Sandbox – an internal space to collect and analyze creative experiments that push brand boundaries.
Flexible Brand Design Library – a formal system within the Brand Design Platform, translating successful experiments into reusable, element-driven tools beyond the logo.
Impact
The framework was presented and approved by senior management, positioning brand flexibility as a strategic lever. It supports design advisory, agency collaboration, and long-term brand evolution, ensuring creative exploration is preserved and scaled.
Future Vision
Reduced elements that make it UBS
Design Exploration
Objective
Create layouts where UBS brand elements—typography, color, imagery—support the messaging and storytelling, instead of strictly following the standard Keyline + Infoline template.
Approach
Ran design sprints and stress tests on:
• Typography (Frutiger)
• Impulse line
• Imagery
• Impulse line
• Imagery
Tested compositions with and without core brand elements to see what is essential for recognition.
Key Learnings
UBS Red is critical for immediate brand recognition.
Frutiger typeface is necessary for clarity and consistency, even without the logo.
Flexible layouts allow the design to support messaging rather than conforming to rigid templates.
Outcome
Defined principles for adaptable, story-driven compositions.
Insights informed the creation of the Flexible Brand Design Library, enabling broader, more dynamic brand applications.
Next Steps
Building on these preliminary explorations, the next phase focuses on refining the Flexible Brand Library, piloting adaptable compositions across channels, and capturing insights to inform scalable best practices. This work will align resources, timelines, and success measures while translating initial prototypes into live, story-driven layouts that balance creative flexibility with brand recognition.