The Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past
Why timeless design principles still matter in a world obsessed with trends.
The Problem with Modern Branding
A few years ago, I was in a meeting where a client asked if their logo should “look more like Airbnb’s.”
You’ve probably heard that kind of question before. Every few years, a brand becomes the template: minimalist sans-serifs, abstract symbols, soft gradients.
And every few years, a new wave of companies lose the distinctiveness that made them memorable in the first place.
I’ve always loved revisiting the work of designers who built brands that still hold up decades later: Paul Rand, Massimo Vignelli, Paula Scher. Their work is radically simple. Not simplistic, but intentional. They didn’t just make things pretty; they made them meaningful.
Because in branding, meaning is everything.
In a time when AI can spin up a “brand strategy” in five minutes, there’s never been more value in slowing down. In thinking harder, asking better questions and studying how the greats built brands that outlasted trends, tools and entire eras of design.
(This isn’t a knock against AI. It’s a great tool. But with AI, you can go in the wrong direction faster than ever.)
Here’s what marketers, designers and brand strategists can still learn from those greats today:
Paul Rand: Clarity Is the Ultimate Creativity
Paul Rand, the designer behind logos for IBM, UPS and ABC, once said, “Design is the silent ambassador of your brand.”
He believed good design isn’t about decoration. It’s about clarity, consistency and concept. He led with logic, not emotion. And in doing so, he proved that clear thinking is a creative act.
What Modern Brand Strategy Can Learn from Rand
1. Start with the idea, not the logo.
Before he ever sketched a line, Rand needed to understand what a company believed in— its purpose, culture and audience. A brand strategy should start there too. Define what you stand for before deciding how you look.
2. Simplify to amplify.
The IBM stripes weren’t minimal because it was trendy. They were minimal because they told a story: stability, speed and technology. Simplicity isn’t about removing—it’s about refining.
3. Think in systems. Not assets.
Rand built identities that could live anywhere: packaging, print, signage, TV. Long before “brand systems” were a buzzword, he was already doing it. Build something flexible enough to evolve but structured enough to stay consistent.
Takeaway: A logo is just a logo. A brand is a language. And like Rand’s work, it should speak so clearly that no translation is needed.
Massimo Vignelli: Discipline Creates Freedom
Massimo Vignelli, the mind behind the NYC Subway map and American Airlines logo, once said, “If you can design one thing, you can design everything.”
He believed order and beauty aren’t opposites—they’re partners. His work was all about grids, systems and timeless form.
I still look at his layouts for Knoll and feel a little awe. Simple. Confident. Enduring.
The Vignelli Model for Brand Identity
1. Create order before creativity.
Vignelli believed creativity thrives inside boundaries. The clearer the constraints (values, tone, purpose) the stronger the ideas.
2. Commit to timelessness.
He didn’t reject trends because he was stubborn. He rejected them because they age fast. A brand that reinvents itself every few years loses equity. Build a core system so strong it can evolve naturally instead of needing to start again from scratch.
3. Respect the grid.
To Vignelli, the grid kept chaos in check. For strategists, that “grid” is your framework—positioning, messaging and voice. When those are clear, creativity has room to move.
Takeaway: The best brands feel both structured and alive. Consistency doesn’t kill creativity; it gives it room to grow.
Paula Scher: Emotion Wins Attention
If Rand was the architect and Vignelli the engineer, Paula Scher is the musician.
Her work for The Public Theater, Citi and Microsoft proves that design isn’t just seen—it’s felt. She took typography and turned it into rhythm, energy and personality.
Scher’s work reminds us that strategy alone doesn’t move people. Emotion does.
What Scher Teaches Us About Modern Branding
1. Strategy needs soul.
Scher doesn’t separate logic from feeling. When she rebranded The Public Theater, she didn’t start with a grid. She started with a voice. The result was raw, loud and human.
2. Typography is tone of voice.
Fonts and spacing say as much as words do. Scher uses type like an actor uses tone. Every decision communicates something before the message is even read.
3. Break rules with purpose.
Scher broke plenty of design rules, but never on impulse. She understands the rules first— then bends them toward meaning.
Takeaway: A great brand doesn’t just make sense. It makes you feel something.
What Marketers and Branding Agencies Can Take Away
Studying design legends isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about remembering that strategy and design are two sides of the same coin.
1. Strategy before style.
Before talking colors or fonts, ask:
- What do we believe as a brand?
- How do we want our customers to think of us?
- What problem are we solving that our competitors aren’t?
2. Clarity beats cleverness
You can’t build trust (or sell) if people can’t understand what you do. Say it clearly and simply. Then say it again.
3. Systems, not campaigns.
Campaigns end. Systems scale. Build frameworks that can adapt across platforms, people and time. I use frameworks for design and creative thinking on most projects.
4. Embrace tension.
The best brands balance opposites: clarity and curiosity. Logic and emotion. Order and play. That’s where growth happens.
How you can use this thinking to build your brand
Even experienced brand directors and marketing strategists struggle to balance creativity and structure. Here’s where things often go sideways:
- Overthinking strategy. When it gets too abstract, it stops guiding real work.
- Chasing trends. A trendy look without a timeless idea fades fast.
- Forgetting the team. If your people don’t understand the strategy, your audience won’t either.
- Skipping iteration. Rand, Vignelli and Scher all refined over time. Great brands evolve. They don’t reboot. I really can’t emphasize this enough. You don’t have to (and really shouldn’t) start from scratch all the time. Build off and refine what you have.
Here’s a simple process to apply this thinking to your own brand:
Step 1: Audit what exists.
Look at your brand identity and messaging. Is the story clear? Do visuals and words align?
Step 2: Define the core idea.
Every great brand has one clear idea. Write yours in a single sentence. Then use it as your filter for every decision. It sounds so easy, but it’s where a lot of teams get stuck.
Step 3: Build the system.
Create rules that guide creativity, not restrict it:
- Typography hierarchy (Vignelli’s order)
- Logo and layout principles (Rand’s clarity)
- Voice and emotion (Scher’s emotion)
Step 4: Test and refine.
Run it in the real world. Build social content, sales decks, campaigns. See what holds up. Then adjust.
Why the Future of Brand Strategy Is Rooted in the Past
Rand gave us logic. Vignelli gave us order. Scher gives us emotion. Together, they’ve shown that great branding lives at the intersection of clarity, structure and humanity.
They also show that there is not a single way forward, but ways of thinking that can be applied to the situation.
Today, anyone can generate a logo in seconds. But meaning? That still takes time. The real value of a branding agency is helping companies define what they stand for—and designing a system that makes it clear to the world.
If you’re ready to rethink how your brand communicates—not just how it looks—start with the fundamentals these legendary designers built into their work.
Because the brands that last aren’t chasing trends. They’re built on clarity, purpose and a little courage.
Need help defining your brand’s next chapter?
Atomicdust helps businesses turn strategy into systems that drive recognition and growth. Explore our brand strategy services.
