Designing With Purpose
Northbound is dedicated to the idea that brand purpose is central to helping every organization thrive. As the new Creative Director at Northbound, I’m focused on helping make brand promises come to life through design.
But what does that really mean?
A brand promise is just like a personal promise you make with others. It is intrinsically connected to the company’s actions that create, promote and then deliver on its offerings. When people and companies sincerely deliver on them, they incrementally earn trust and loyalty. When they fail to deliver, they erode those bonds that have been established.
Design is the creative opportunity for a brand to outwardly express its unique mood and character. It does this from a sensorial palette of options that people can see, hear, touch, taste, smell or experience. It’s through these highly developed senses, that we as humans depend on for our survival. We use them for basic exploration and enhancing experiences the terrestrial world offers us.
When a brand is designed well, the result communicates and delivers on the sensory attributes of its personality, values and proposition to a targeted audience. They attract and emotionally connect with those people, becoming meaningful to them. As a brand grows in awareness and acceptance though the ever-growing following of people, it can become indelible or historic — earning it that prized, iconic brand status.
Building Your Iconic Brand
Brand purpose is a force for success. When it’s expressed through design, it can reach farther, more effectively, and more powerfully than words can express. At Northbound, we’re sincere in our values and of those we serve. We pursue unwavering truths that shape and define a brand ethos. We spark brands to life through emotionally resonant design expression. And have them make a memorable impression, a positive impact in the precious world we live in.
My job is to help uncover the opportunities in your brand to express its purpose. I’ve helped brands like Starbucks, Alaska Airlines, Nike, Microsoft, and dozens of others find answers by design. I’m excited to roll up my sleeves and get to work on whatever challenge, question, or choice you’re facing. Let’s get started.
David Bates | Creative Director
