In their new book, graphic designers Katharina Sussek and Jens Müller examine how colours, symbols and typefaces shape how we perceive companies and products – and why originality still matters
In an era where brands live everywhere all at once – stretched across apps, motion systems, storefronts, social feeds and increasingly AI-generated environments – the challenge of building a coherent visual identity has become more complex than ever. Yet according to designers and authors Katharina Sussek and Jens Müller, the fundamentals of brand design remain remarkably resilient.
Their new book, The Elements of Brand Design, published by Taschen, arrives as both a survey and a corrective: a 512-page study of 110 identity systems spanning global corporations, cultural institutions and smaller independent organisations. Framed by a conversation with Pentagram partners Paula Scher and Michael Bierut, the book dissects the visual DNA of brands ranging from Nike and Netflix to Instagram and Italian football club Internazionale, examining how everything from colour to typography shapes public perception.
For Sussek and Müller, the project also fills what they saw as a gap in the publishing landscape. “It has always bothered us that there hasn’t been a truly comprehensive book on contemporary brand design,” they explain. “In light of the significant changes that have occurred in this field in recent years, we deliberately chose to focus on the current state of visual identities.”
Top: © Nike / Porto Rocha; Above: The Elements of Brand Design book front cover; © Taschen
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