Reductive design and the next generation of brand building with intent

This article was first published on Creativebrief on 1 September 2025

Andrew Lawrence
Global Executive Creative Director

Those who have been around the industry for the last 15 years or so will have seen a clear creative cycle coming to bear on the brands that we have all been working on.

The 90s and early 2000s trend of over-styling, star-busts, and photoshop embellishment led to new aesthetic possibilities, but not surprisingly, this began to wane and instead, albeit with some relief, gave way to a more reductive, mindful era of design. Design for brand identity became so much more iconic in a way that allowed a message to be delivered so much more clearly.

This move towards minimalism could be seen as a direct response to the increasing complexity of the digital age and the move from big screen to small screen. Consumers were looking for clarity and ease of navigation in a world filled with information overload.

This era of reductive brand design focused on simplifying a brand’s visual identity to its most essential elements, aiming for clarity, efficiency, and a more modern aesthetic, often involving minimising visual clutter, prioritising functionality, and emphasising a clear message by storytelling through brand assets as a vehicle to communicate the big brand idea. But in some ways stripped of emotional resonance.

“The hunger for reduction has left some brands shortchanged when it comes to their ability to storytell on a super-regional level.”

Whilst we don’t want a return to the old ways of over-polishing, I for one am all about a simple design aesthetic, the hunger for reduction has left some brands shortchanged when it comes to their ability to storytell on a super-regional level. We will forever need to embrace the beautiful tension between global and local. For markets like China, this is a must; the hunger for unlimited editions and the rise of Involution means there is a real need for intentional brand flex. The competitive retail landscape and the entrepreneurialism that we are seeing in the region means we need to plan for space to innovate and pull consumers and fans in with new news. As designers, we should go about this with a mindset of ‘Intent’ to deliver true next generation brand building, a school that is in stark contrast to the singular focus on reduction.

I’ve just returned from a trip to France, and what struck me whilst sitting in a French bar was the difference in drinking rituals and experience, particularly when the beer glass is in hand. Smaller glasses, a more mindful, almost foody experience and very much less of a commodity… Maybe taking inspiration from wine, it made me think about where some of those global mega brands are heading and their ability to flex harder to connect with consumers on a level that is so much more meaningful.

Much of the change we are seeing is driven by the events of the last eight years or so. We all know it’s been a slog with no end in sight. Brexit, COVID, financial meltdowns, and war have had profound changes politically, economically and socially.

Millennial minimalism is built on the reductive brand aesthetic, which we saw playing out heavily in many of the DTC beauty and health/well-being brands like Deciem’s The Ordinary.

Then, in the middle of all this, Gen Z came along, and we witnessed the rise of the undesigned aesthetic and a backlash against minimalism. A generation, overwhelmed with choice, that said ‘I’m just going to let myself go a little and follow my dopamine desires’. A generation happy with neon clashes of colour and typography that ran the gauntlet of legibility, but it doesn’t matter, it’s how it makes you feel. A new landscape to navigate. Gen-Z brands like Starface and Alani energy drinks are typifying this attitude.

I wonder, therefore, if a lot of what we are beginning to see in design is driven by a combination of the need for people to express themselves to feel more connected to things and the creative technology like GenAi that enables them to do it. Design trends are a response to what is going on in wider culture, and what people need as a response. Minimalism felt honest and pure; the return to maximalist dopamine design is a boost of positivity and a way to stand out in a world where everyone is trying to get your attention. We’re guaranteed to see new trends going forward, and the important thing is to know how and when to use them.

Reduction in design was the result of cultural shifts, but it’s not set in stone as a rule to live by for design. The ‘less is more’ adage is one thing, but now brands need to embrace novelty. We are in the era of creator effectiveness, and notably, brands are shifting from buying reach to buying influence. This means that what’s powerful isn’t just reacting to design trends but figuring out how to most effectively design for who you are and what you stand for.

It means we need to be tighter on what is sacrosanct and define regional shifts or evolutions to keep up with culture, so brand owners can unlock the power of community and collaborative creation – it’s going to mean letting go a little! Which is always difficult, as our fear of loss is always greater than the joy of gain. Nevertheless, brands need to learn to ensure brand effectiveness with creators.

For example, McDonald’s embraced its anime fanbase with a WcDonald’s campaign in 30 markets honouring the artists that have long inserted the fast-food brand into their own creations, inverting the “M” to avoid trademark infringement issues.

With Instagram, everyone wanted to be a stylist, TikTok allowed us to become the entertainer, and the advent of AI now allows the individual to become an artist and creator. Only recently, Sir John Hegarty said something quite profound: “We are all artists, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should all exhibit.” (I couldn’t agree more.)

The same can be applied to the creative use of AI. At the end of the day, owning a hammer does not make you a sculptor! The quality of what we produce is linked inextricably to what you are prepared to settle for. And for brands, the tightrope between what should be protected and what is up for grabs is going to become so much more important.

At the end of the day, we can strive for consistency and cohesion, but it’s key that you know what you stand for and go about that with absolute Intent. This will give you the confidence to also then adopt more of a Wu Wei approach, a 2000-year-old Chinese mindset of ‘letting things happen’. It’s in this space that we invite others in and prompt co-creation that is mutually beneficial.

For brand owners, true balance lies somewhere between knowing what is sacred and then delivering a healthy dose of authenticity and magic by inviting others in.