CASE STUDY 1 | WRITING FOR DESIGN
IBM | How exactly does one go about writing a design philosophy?
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I. Intro
I. Intro
“Design” isn’t usually the first word people think of when they hear “IBM.” But, as Watson (the person, not the A.I. that won Jeopardy) used to say, “Good design is good business.” In fact, IBM used to roll deep with some of the biggest names in design—Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Paul Rand, Isamu Noguchi and Eliot Noyes, namely. And now they’re getting back to their roots.
So, in September of 2017, Todd Simmons brought me in to help him pen a new IBM Design Philosophy and set of Design Principles. This belief system would communicate the company’s POV on design to the world, launching a new era for the IBM brand.
A year and about 3,523,003,293 co-written drafts later, Todd released his final draft. Perhaps my proudest contribution is that I convinced him to cut the number of design principles in half.
The Plex website and IBM Services rebrand (check out the images to the right for some highlights) were two of the first concept tests of the new design philosophy and system, and were both projects to which I contributed brand voice and writing.
Companies often mandate a “design refresh” to modernize a brand that feels outdated. And yes, IBM definitely needed an image boost. But a new system wouldn’t be enough to solve the new design problems that keep popping up as our environment continues to transform. Yes, the company needed to align on one grid, but they also needed that grid to work across channels (how would the grid work in a product design?), formats (how would it work in motion?)—even across dimensions (what about 3D?).
And what about non-designers? Consultants’ Powerpoint presentations are the #1 touchpoint for the IBM brand; how could we make it easy for them to improve the design of their slides? Morover, how could we take the concept of Design Thinking to the next level so as to infuse the IBM brand into it?
IBM needed more than a new system for designers. It needed to define a way of thinking so that everyone in the company could start applying design to their work .
III. “The purpose of everything we do is to guide the people we serve.”
So, in September of 2017, Todd Simmons brought me in to help him pen a new IBM Design Philosophy and set of Design Principles. This belief system would communicate the company’s POV on design to the world, launching a new era for the IBM brand.
A year and about 3,523,003,293 co-written drafts later, Todd released his final draft. Perhaps my proudest contribution is that I convinced him to cut the number of design principles in half.
The Plex website and IBM Services rebrand (check out the images to the right for some highlights) were two of the first concept tests of the new design philosophy and system, and were both projects to which I contributed brand voice and writing.
II. Why not just a refresh?
Companies often mandate a “design refresh” to modernize a brand that feels outdated. And yes, IBM definitely needed an image boost. But a new system wouldn’t be enough to solve the new design problems that keep popping up as our environment continues to transform. Yes, the company needed to align on one grid, but they also needed that grid to work across channels (how would the grid work in a product design?), formats (how would it work in motion?)—even across dimensions (what about 3D?).
And what about non-designers? Consultants’ Powerpoint presentations are the #1 touchpoint for the IBM brand; how could we make it easy for them to improve the design of their slides? Morover, how could we take the concept of Design Thinking to the next level so as to infuse the IBM brand into it?
IBM needed more than a new system for designers. It needed to define a way of thinking so that everyone in the company could start applying design to their work .
III. “The purpose of everything we do is to guide the people we serve.”
Rethinking the IBM design philosophy was an opportunity to examine the brand’s place in the modern environment—and in modern culture. Today’s business environment is being defined by technology. And while most brands lean into the newness, possibility, and excitement of tech, there’s another side to it: uncertainty, risk, and volatility. So could there be a tech brand that spoke to these stresses? Unlike its competitors, IBM has lived through all the eras of computing, and has helped many of the world’s largest and most successful companies through them too. IBM is not the fastest-moving or the wildest moon-shooting because it’s mature. It’s experienced. It has the unique ability in its category to be a guide.
The role of “guide” drove the new design philosophy and principles. We asked,
- “How can design facilitate progress?”
- “How can IBM help humanity and technology move forward together?”
- “What does a good guide do? How does it behave? What does it look like, sound like, feel like, smell like...?”
- “How can design facilitate progress?”
- “How can IBM help humanity and technology move forward together?”
- “What does a good guide do? How does it behave? What does it look like, sound like, feel like, smell like...?”
From there, we developed design principles. These principles needed to be broad enough so anyone, from any discipline within IBM, could apply them to their work. But, they also needed to be practical enough to give clear direction.
III. A rare opportunity
With more than 350,000 employees serving clients in 170 countries, IBM is one of the biggest companies in the world. And this was a project to pen its design ethos. It isn’t a brand promise or philosophy meant to be used as marketing, it’s a way of thinking that affects every product, every service, and every piece of communication, and permeates every room in every IBM building accross the world. It’s meant to live on, throughout the life of the company. I feel lucky to have contributed to its creation.
III. A rare opportunity
With more than 350,000 employees serving clients in 170 countries, IBM is one of the biggest companies in the world. And this was a project to pen its design ethos. It isn’t a brand promise or philosophy meant to be used as marketing, it’s a way of thinking that affects every product, every service, and every piece of communication, and permeates every room in every IBM building accross the world. It’s meant to live on, throughout the life of the company. I feel lucky to have contributed to its creation.
Check out the philosophy and principles: IBM.com/design
See it come to life:
- IBM Plex
- IBM Services
See it come to life:
- IBM Plex
- IBM Services