35 Inclusive Programs

Good identity programs provide for variation from the start, but the larger trend of customer or user personalization has tested the traditional boundaries of consistency.

An expectation of variety has combined with the ready availability of desktop and online publishing tools to shift emphasis away from the hard rules of conformity one might have found in an identity standards manual a few years ago. In this landscape, the rules loosen as customization and personalization become possible in identity programs. The sort of litmus test for appropriateness you might find in a brand bible might provide all the order a program needs.

Customization and personalization are powerful tools, but they can erode brand recall if used haphazardly. Identity program designers are increasingly challenged to define new kinds of rules for use as well as application. In an increasingly noisy and competitive landscape, successful identity programs will need to draw some lines that should not be crossed.

1. Smokey Bones
Push
Chris Robb, Mark Unger, Kevin Taylor, Gordon Weller, Kevin Harrel

2. Bunchism
Bunch

3. Johnson & Johnson Summit
BIG/Ogilvy
Brian Collins, Kapono Chung, Tracy Jenkins, Tadd Kimball, Emily Lessard, Noah Venezia, Charles Watlington

The audience isn’t just listening. They’re also making your program their own through customized amenities, and in doing so, they’re taking a personal stake in the brand.