In customers’ eyes, it’s the same brand building the product they use and the ads that led them to that product in the first place. To them, there are no compartments, no org charts, no project managers. There is only one experience, one #BrandSystem.

“Make it feel human” That’s something I’ve been hearing more and more lately. Clients asking for work that feels hand-drawn, more organic, less polished. Shapes that aren’t mathematically flawless. Colors that feel grounded and warm instead of hyper-saturated purples and glowy gradients. More texture, more character. It’s interesting to watch the shift. For years, we leaned heavily into ultra-smooth, gradient-heavy, almost sci-fi aesthetics (Think Stripe, Linear). Everything felt crisp, precise, and digital. But now, as AI-generated design becomes better and more accessible, that kind of perfection feels easier to replicate. And therefore it stops being special. Brands are moving toward something that feels more real. More ownable. More personal. You can already see it happening with brands like Granola. There’s personality in it. It doesn’t scream "look at me". The tone feels grounded. Personally, I’m all for it.

Happy 36th Birthday Adobe Photoshop! On February 19, 1990, Adobe Systems released a raster graphics editor called Photoshop 1.0.

Self-refinement through the wisdom of the ages – New Year's resolutions from some of humanity's greatest mind: Seneca, Maya Angelou, Alan Watts, Bruce Lee, Carl Sagan, Virginia Woolf, and more: themarginalian.org/2015/01/0…

How to Become A Millionaire: Hire smart people. Pay them well. Leave them alone.

Sunsets: when you’re truly there, time feels like it bends *just enough* to let you take it all in. Presence expands experience. It brings out the colors in life, the quiet details that algorithms would rather you scroll past 💨🌇 *HEX color codes linked in bio

Emotionally rigid: Keep your head down, one eye on the prize, the other on the bottom line, no matter the cost. Emotionally agile: Realize your circumstances have evolved, and make a values-aligned choice to change course. These questions can help you reevaluate your goals.

Everyone's looking for the hack and the hack is patience.

It's begun: as if our collective manners weren't already messed up, here comes, Humans prompting each other. We're EI, not AI. Do better.

Once you reframe discipline as self love, everything changes. You wanted to get up early to write? Love yourself enough to do it. You wanted to get to the gym? Love yourself enough to do it. You wanted to build your side hustle? Love yourself enough to do it.

If you're going through one of those days where you just need someone to say "I see you, you're doing great", that someone is you. I repeat: that someone is you.

There it is, hiding in plain sight, the unmistakable mark of a lasting brand: caring. Caring profoundly. Caring for customers, team members, suppliers, the world. Caring so much that the world cares back. ft. @iamjohnmackey ‘s #consciouscapitalism

“Character — the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life — is the source from which self-respect springs.” Remembering Joan Didion, who left us two years ago today, with her classic on self-respect themarginalian.org/2012/05/2…

“10 leadership musts for 2024.” Etc. Etc. Etc. Forget it. Just act on/obsess on these 14 words from Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone: “The two most powerful things in existence: a kind word and a thoughtful gesture.”

We’ll keep doing what we do in the unique ways in which we do it because this is who we are. The right people will find us. But let us never lose ourselves.

My 5 favorite Christmas fonts this year 🎄✨ All linked below if you’re feeling ready to play 🧩  lrbs.ch/christmas

After following their work for years, honored to join the @routledgebooks | @WeAreTandF family. Thrilled to share my new labor of love: Brand Psychology, now available for pre-order 💥📘 Get 20% off using code SMA40 🏷️ right here ⬇️ lrbs.ch/brandpsychology

"Missing the target isn't the worst thing you can do. Not taking the shot is." - @GaryJohnBishop

This extraordinary little pitch here. This is the energy entrepreneurs are made of⚡️ A young Steve Jobs pulls the first Macintosh out of a bag just to make the point that you can actually do that— in a world used to mainframes. youtube.com/watch?v=2B-XwPjn…