The foundation of every brand is an idea. The idea creates a common understanding and it allows actions and communication goals to interact in a natural way.
Every communicative measure has the task of conveying and communicating precisely this idea to the target group. More than ever before, brands are involved in a dialog with customers, act as direct interlocutors and are perceived as such. People want to understand how they act, what they believe in and what they stand for.
A design is nothing without the right idea to carry it all. A lot of clients may want a flexible design system (atomic branding / design), but when it comes to implementation, they often cling to old conventions that did not know the challenge of cross-media communication yet.
“Make the logo bigger” — or, in other words: uncertainty.
With Atomic Branding, as with any kind of a flexible design system, it’s similar to a meal with friends. The loudest speaker at the table has to be drowned out — all the others follow suit and you end up with the whole table shouting and the hoarseness remains to the next day.
Every element of communication and design can be used dynamically to give radiance to others. A big logo always diminishes the headline, a loud headline diminishes the sender — a balance is not always the right way. Depending on the channel, this can be exactly what leads success. It’s important to realize that the logo is not the brand.