Fifteen years in the past, Fiasco set out with no shoppers, no company expertise, and no clear roadmap. As an alternative, they’d intuition, optimism, and a core set of values.
Over the previous decade and a half, that basis has advanced right into a fiercely considerate and emotionally pushed artistic studio that is now marking its anniversary with a putting new model id.
Greater than a recent coat of paint, the rebrand is a full-circle second for the company. It captures not simply the artistic maturity Fiasco has developed through the years however the heartfelt, human-centred philosophy that is outlined its work all alongside.
From digital platforms to model identities, the group has persistently prioritised emotional connection, visible storytelling, and purposeful experiences. Now, the studio’s personal id displays that very same strategy.
“Each undertaking we work on is strategically constructed round a core emotion to create a robust and significant reference to the viewers,” says Chris Tozer, accomplice and inventive director. “We have turned this strategy right into a clear providing: humanising manufacturers by delivering that emotion at each touchpoint.”
Led in-house over the course of a yr, the rebrand concerned all 16 group members in a course of that was, by their very own admission, typically messy. However the chaos, says head of promoting and partnerships Nathalie Crease, was a part of what made it significant: “It has been slightly like arguing with ourselves within the mirror, but it surely’s additionally helped us reconnect with what we love about Fiasco. It is not only a design train; it is a self-reflective one.”
This collaborative, introspective strategy has resulted in a model id that balances artistic rigidity: one half readability and craft, one half spontaneity and pleasure. Design director and accomplice Julia Darze explains: “The brand new visible id is constructed on a artistic rigidity: the stability between the maturity and experience we have developed over 15 years and the playful, spirited character that defines us.”
To precise that, the group paired practical and expressive typefaces, constructed a monochrome base palette accented by celebratory color, and embedded micro-moments of motion throughout the model. Customized glyphs subtly disrupt the emblem, interactive components reply with joyful unpredictability, and typography reveals itself with rhythmic transitions. Its movement design isn’t just an embellishment however an extension of brand name values: magnetic, human, and stuffed with feeling.
Fiasco calls this strategy “huge moments, little emotions”, distilling advanced narratives into singular emotional anchors. Whether or not it is awe, pleasure, connection, or one thing else solely, every undertaking centres on the way it ought to make individuals really feel. That emotional precision then informs the visuals, interplay design, copy, and all the pieces in between.
The rebrand additionally marks a brand new chapter of outward-facing generosity. Alongside its refreshed id, Fiasco is launching a collection of initiatives designed to share what it is discovered. These embody open studio days, portfolio evaluations, mentorship schemes, and an FAQ hub of insights and sources, all a part of a long-held perception in nurturing the artistic group.
“We really consider within the energy of the artistic group, now greater than ever, to deliver mild and optimism to the world,” Nathalie says. “The UK design trade is among the many greatest globally, and as part of that, we really feel a accountability to nurture that legacy.”
As an authorized B Corp, Fiasco’s values additionally lengthen past the studio. From championing moral shoppers to embedding care into its processes, the studio has created a framework the place creativity is fuelled by connection and affect. That is mirrored in its group tradition, too, with an emphasis on belief, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.
The rebrand is stuffed with delicate cues that replicate this philosophy. Movement ideas are based mostly on magnetism – the drive that brings individuals collectively. Typography balances construction with expressive element. Even how a button animates on hover is designed to evoke a sense.
Fiasco’s strategy to model constructing is meticulous however by no means chilly. As an alternative, the brand new id exhibits how precision and heat can coexist. It is an open invitation for shoppers, collaborators, and audiences to really feel one thing and bear in mind it.
That emotional resonance exhibits up within the work, too. Whether or not designing an app for a volunteer platform constructed round pleasure or shaping the id of an electrical aviation firm via awe, the group at all times begins with feeling. The rebrand merely mirrors that methodology.
Wanting forward, Fiasco is not making an attempt to foretell the subsequent pattern or leap on the newest aesthetic. As an alternative, the studio is grounded in what it does greatest: crafting model and digital experiences that join on a human stage. The brand new model is a milestone, sure, but it surely’s additionally a basis for what’s subsequent.
“We hope our work strikes individuals – that it sparks one thing, whether or not that is a shift in pondering, a change in behaviour, or just a sense,” Nathalie provides. “That is why we do what we do.”
The brand new Fiasco id may be clear, assured and modern, however its strongest component is the one it is at all times had: care. Look after design, take care of individuals and take care of the feelings that stay on the coronary heart of each expertise. If one factor is obvious, it is that, for Fiasco, design that works is design that feels.
