Disruption and design – how to break through

You can have the most beautiful, consistent, on-message branding in the world – but eventually, it will get dull. There’s only so many times you can look at a poster or infographic and still say ‘wow’ before it fades into the background. But with every problem comes an opportunity, and you should always be thinking of new, disruptive ways to make an impact.

Doing what your competitors and critics don’t expect is a classic technique, but when done well can still be hugely effective. Changing up your usual colour schemes, reducing the use of obvious logos and splashing messaging through images and text the reader doesn’t expect is a great way to get noticed. The animal rights activist group PETA, whatever one thinks of them, has become highly experienced at these methods, deploying sex appeal and shocking imagery frequently to get viewers to sit up and take notice.

Take a look through your brand guidelines for print, branding and web design and see what can be subverted or torn up. Invert your colour scheme, experiment with new typefaces and display formats, work out evocative imagery – either stock photos, your own images, or drawn by artists – to use around what you’re doing, and see what you can come up with.

Disruptive campaigns are usually short, high impact and large format; there’s no real use producing your business stationery to shock when it’s only your existing employees who’ll use it. Your website can be an effective platform, as can print posters – don’t write off what’s in front of people as outdated – and social media graphics. And it can’t be done constantly. Viewers whose expectations are constantly challenged will come to expect it.

Think about your brand identity – why your existing customers are your customers, and what attracts them. Then try to work out why it is those you wish to be your customers aren’t yet biting. In many cases, it’s simply because they haven’t noticed, so shock and awe can cut through. But disruption doesn’t have to be loud and brash; it can be quieter, direct and well targeted, too. Imagine unique print design work that allows for leaflets and flyers in places the customer wouldn’t expect, or easily shared memes and web graphics which subtly incorporate your brand, or simply drive likes to your social media presence.

Rules are made to be broken – and the same, sometimes, goes for brand guidelines.