In the pattern of contemporary brand communication, vision is no longer just a decorative shell, but a core component of brand strategy. The rapid iteration of digital media, the popularity of multi-screen experience and cultural exchange in the context of globalization make the tasks undertaken by brand vision more complex and diverse than ever before. It needs to maintain consistent recognition and appeal in the two-second browsing of mobile terminals, the immersive experience of physical stores, the live presentation of cross-border activities and the viral spread of social platforms. However, this all-round adaptability can’t be realized by one-time art upgrading, but requires the visual system to have the ability of continuous evolution from the bottom structure, which is also the core of the concept of “Sustainable Visual Design” that has been valued by more and more international brands in recent years.
How A Visual Upgrade Shifts The Narrative
This “sustainability” is not limited to environmental protection or material recycling, but emphasizes the long life of a visual system-it can still adapt to the changes of media technology, communication scenes and aesthetic trends within several years or even decades after the design is completed, without losing the identification genes of the brand core. It should be stable and malleable, leaving room for future uncertainty. This is not an instant burst of creativity, but a long-term balance and dynamic reconciliation between brand strategy, visual rules and creative expression. Excellent visual upgrade often not only solves the immediate problems, but also lays the foundation for the brand in the next decade or even longer.
In the upgrade of Verizon’s Co-branding system, this concept has been systematically implemented. Facing the complex scene of cross-industry, cross-platform and multi-brands, the project team did not follow the traditional approach of “enlarging the main brand and compressing the sub-brands”, but designed a set of strict logo juxtaposition rules, including proportion setting, safe zone division, blank logic, alignment principle and dynamic adjustment mechanism to adapt to different media. This system not only eliminates the visual conflict caused by multi-brands on the same screen, but also conveys the equality and complementarity of cooperative relations in the perception, and strengthens the overall sense of brand alliance. The system has shown high consistency and extensibility in digital advertising, offline activities, product packaging and other different contacts, and has become a common template for all subsequent cooperation scenarios. After the project was released, it was rated as one of the “Best Visual System Upgrade of the Year” by Brand New, and won the gold medal in Graphis Design Annual 2024. At the same time, it was cited as the best practice example of cross-brand collaboration by many design institutions. It is generally believed in the industry that this case provides a reproducible solution for how to build sustainable visual standards in multi-brand coexistence scenarios.
Rebranding In The Sports Industry
In the rebranding project of New York City FC, the concept of sustainable design is also the core driving factor. As a young professional football club, its visual system should not only establish a distinct recognition among global sports brands, but also have a deep connection with the multicultural and unique rhythm of new york. On the basis of keeping the team’s sports genes, the design team introduced graphic language and color scheme that echoed with New York’s urban texture, architectural rhythm and street art, so that the system not only had a sense of speed and strength, but also carried strong regional feelings. More importantly, this system has reserved a flexible interface for future competition expansion, cross-border cooperation and cultural activities at the beginning of its design-whether it is the updating of jerseys, the surrounding fans, the interaction of digital media or the temporary branding needs of international competitions, it can be quickly adapted without overturning and rebuilding.
Related: GRAPHIC DESIGN SPOTLIGHT
After the project was launched, it not only enhanced the club’s brand presence in international competitions, but also won the Sports Business Journal’s “Sports Brand Upgrade of the Year” award, and was selected as the main exhibition unit of New York Design Week in 2024, which was commented as “a sustainable visual example of integrating sports with urban culture“. Sports marketing experts point out that this system proves that sports brands can establish lasting cultural identity while maintaining a sense of competition, thus forming dual competitiveness at the commercial and emotional levels.
Setting Up A Longstanding Visual Language
Throughout these cases, the design strategy is to maintain a high degree of consistency in core identification elements, while leaving enough room for changes in auxiliary systems, colors, graphics and application scenarios. This method ensures that the visual system will not be out of date rapidly due to the change of media or trends, but will continue to glow in the future communication. Whether it is a commercial brand facing the global market or an art and sports project with profound cultural connotation, this design idea aims to build a set of visual language for the brand that can cross the differences of time, media and culture, and provide solid support for its sustainable growth in the future.
These projects are all led by Interbrand core designer Runzhe Chen. He has rich experience in brand visual strategy and systematic design, and has provided creative and strategic solutions for international brands in consumer goods, science and technology, sports, public welfare and other fields. His works have won many international awards such as Tokyo TDC, D&AD, and MUSE Creative Awards, and have been selected for international design exhibitions such as the New York TDC awards and Tokyo TDC Annual Exhibition.
Working within a fierce brand competition and continuous differentiation of media ecology, sustainable visual design is not only a design method, but also a long-term strategic thinking. It requires that the future changes, uncertainties and iterative space should be taken into consideration in the design stage of the visual system, so as to ensure that the brand still maintains a distinct recognition and lasting vitality in different technical cycles, market environments and cultural contexts. Whether it is cross-brand collaboration, sports culture shaping, public welfare communication and consumer goods marketing, this concept has been proved to significantly enhance brand adaptability and market toughness. The true sustainable visual design is not to follow the fashion, but to build a set of visual language that can continue to operate and grow for the brand. It is effective today and will be equally full of vitality in the future.
