Why do metal gates have all those swirls?

Hint: it’s not just for the vibes.

Historically, those curves helped reinforce the structure by distributing tension through the metal.

Which is a surprisingly good metaphor for brand systems.

Yes, stay with me.

Strong brands don’t rely on a logo alone. Patterns, motifs, and visual language help carry the system across packaging, campaigns, social, and everything in between.

Sometimes the elements people call “decoration” are actually doing the heavy lifting.

What’s one brand you think does this really well?

With every branding project, I design and present 2–3 different options for my clients, sometimes even one is enough when the vision is crystal clear. The reason I show more? I like to push myself more creatively to explore beyond what's safe and normal. A client might think they know exactly what they want, but the moment I go beyond the safe choice, they're often surprised by how much they love the more creative direction. This was exactly the case working with BraveDuck+Robots, an experience design studio built around creativity, strategy and technology. The brief was clear, but pushing past the obvious unlocked something far more interesting. At the end of the day, we're here to serve our clients, but sometimes working with them means showing something they didn't know they needed.

I completely relate to this. There’s something really rewarding about pushing things beyond the brief.

A good designer can stay within the brief, but a strong creative director should be able to see what the brand could become and take the client along that journey.

I do the same...