The love and hate of brand and design
ABC Theatre
The worlds of Branding and Product Design often clash. A strong desire to stand out and differentiate vs. the need for user interface consistency and familiarity. One could argue this standardisation (design systems!) and constant optimisation could lead to uninspired and undifferentiated templated user experiences. How can we then launch new products that will succeed in crowded markets? This is where the two worlds need to come together to draw on their commonalities - a customer-centric approach to uncovering new insights, and the creation of new and compelling product propositions. Christian and Jan will unpack how the two disciplines should use their respective methods to deliver joined-up customer experiences that perform.
Jan Šrůtek
Lead Product Designer @ Outreach
Jan is a digital product designer, researcher, and strategist. He is now leading the design of mobile apps at a transport tech company Trainline. He graduated from UCLIC in 2009, and since then worked as an Information Architect, UX Consultant and Interaction Designer for digital agencies, start-ups, and global corporations. Having worked in finance, travel, energy, media, and gaming, he’s now helping progressive e-commerce brands build successful products. You’ll find him in London or Paris, or in between on a Eurostar train.
Christian Barnett
Founding Partner @ Sword & Stone
Christian has been involved in branding and brand design for most of his career, working in advertising for over a decade, in London and New York, and as Head of strategy in branding agency Coley Porter Bell. He has also been a consultant and a co-founder of creative strategy consultancy, Sword & Stone. In addition to branding, Christian has been part of UX and experience design projects for HSBC, BMI, Santander, IHG, and Apple.