VVStudio · Vasco Vicente

Brand Design Systems That Scale

A logo is not a brand. A brand becomes recognisable when many teams, agencies and markets can produce work that looks and feels like one voice. That requires a brand design system: rules, components and templates that make consistency the default.

Proof: systems in the real world

  • British Airways · "Reflections" (Uncommon Creative Studio, London, 2025): I created the design guideline system that carried the campaign across out-of-home. Result: 3 Silver and 3 Bronze Lions (Outdoor), Cannes Lions 2026, and One Club 2026 Best of Discipline Pencil, 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Merits.
  • Cottonelle and Cif (MullenLowe Global, Singapore, 2025): design system refresh for two global household brands.
  • Ray-Ban Meta (Studio Herrström, Vienna, 2025): design direction.
  • Apple · "Shot on iPhone 16 Pro": identity work.
  • Rumble (MullenLowe UK): winning pitch as Design Director.

What's in a system

  1. Core identity: logo suite, colour, typography, spacing.
  2. Layout and grid: templates for OOH, social, print, presentations and digital.
  3. Imagery rules: photography and illustration direction with examples.
  4. Motion system: logo animation, transitions, typographic motion and timing. Informed by my MA in Film, Photography & Animation.
  5. Guidelines: a document or site that every agency partner can follow.
  6. Governance: approvals and how the system evolves.

Who it's for

  • Global brands rolling one platform across many markets and agencies.
  • Brands refreshing an existing system, as with Cottonelle and Cif.
  • Scale-ups whose brand is fragmenting as they grow.

Process

Audit → principles → design → system and components → guidelines and templates → handover and training.

Recognition: 80+ awards and honours. Highlights:

  • Cannes Lions 2026: 3 Silver Lions and 3 Bronze Lions, Outdoor, British Airways "Reflections"
  • The One Club 2026: 1 Best of Discipline Pencil, 2 Gold Pencils, 1 Silver Pencil, 2 Merits, British Airways "Reflections"
  • Shots Awards 2025: Bronze, Cinematography, Apple "Shot on iPhone 16 Pro"
  • Webby Awards 2023: Winner, Nike "Runners Helping Runners"
  • Webby Awards 2023: Winner, Best Social Commerce, "World of Wish"
  • Clio Awards 2022: Silver, Nike "Runners Helping Runners"
  • FWA Site of the Day: S7 Airlines

See all awards →

Build your brand system →

Questions

What is a brand design system?

A brand design system is a documented set of visual and verbal rules, reusable components and templates that lets any team produce consistent, on-brand work.

How is it different from brand guidelines?

Guidelines describe the rules. A design system also provides the working components (templates, libraries and motion files) that make following the rules easy.

What brand systems has Vasco Vicente worked on?

The British Airways "Reflections" design guideline system with Uncommon Creative Studio, and the Cottonelle and Cif design system refresh with MullenLowe Global.

VVStudio · Vasco Vicente · Amsterdam