like everything we do at under, the brand sprint is an impossible blend of simplicity and flexibility. some rules are written with blood, and some are made to adapt to specific needs.

It all starts with a strategy meeting—a three-hour brainstorming session, as Jake Knapp described in his insightful article. We gathered with the team for three hours and learned as much as possible through various exercises, such as Simon Sinek's golden circle concept.

We absorb as much information as we can using sticky notes. After the meeting, we take all the sticky notes home and decode what is said. We translate the actual words because, during the meeting, we're not really bound by the exact words people use.

People can express the same idea in different ways, and that's fine. However, after the meeting, I refine these expressions at home. I create an accurate map of the 'why', 'what', 'how', etc.

from there, we can make a story. at this point, we already have a tone of voice - we know how we want to sound. there is no visual aspect at this stage, only text. and this is great.

the team will love it if they feel connected to it and see their contributions. everything they said during the strategy sessions is there. on top of what makes a good story, I make sure to include unexpected elements and embody the founders’ culture.

i remember a technical blockchain product in which someone mentioned having fun and buying a yacht. i thought it sounded cool and bold. I included this at the end of the story because it was friendly, unique, and eventually made sense in their context.

now, we’re ready for design. the clients bring their company name and content for the homepage. our focus is solely on designing and visually communicating this content.

the homepage, a significant marketing tool, requires a lot of content. it's a storytelling platform, a timeline presented on a website. this is our opportunity to create the visual identity and make the brand shine.

The content represents what the client wants to showcase, like features and benefits. This content can be delivered to us poorly or well, with the exact words. We always tweak the copy to ensure it matches the overall design.

essentially, we’re creating and testing the brand through a marketing deliverable. this process is a dance. we design one thing and then test it. repeat multiple times. from there, we create many other deliverables.

the sprint is a period of rapid work for us and a time for the client to get involved and provide the right person to provide the proper feedback - this person is known as the “champion” - the person we engage with the most and interact with primarily. we have a daily meeting with them.

The first part of the process is a bit messy, which isn't necessarily a negative thing. We can call it 'positive scrappiness.' We design things and then throw them into the archive. We evaluate whether we like or dislike the results, experiencing various emotions.

we have a method i call a-z, a-b, 1-3 testing. here's how it works:

We start by creating many logos, aiming for quantity over quality. This might mean making 30 to 40 logos just to start a discussion. Then, with feedback from the client, we narrow them down to three or four options.

next, we do a-b testing with these logos, tweaking and comparing different versions. we involve the client more directly, even if it means showing them works-in-progress. this approach may be too open, but when it works, it feels more genuine, collaborative, and the truth of how things should be.

some things are more intuitive and do not require the method, so we skip it.

another example is choosing the right colors for a brand, which is crucial but tricky. With so many things to think about, color stands out because it can significantly impact emotions. colors can shape a brand's vibe, and it's okay if you cannot figure them out immediately.

We ran a sprint called “VisionCamp,” and we started with lots of natural, earthy colors to match a camping theme. but as we refined our concept to focus more on "vision," we shifted to a bright sky blue that really stood out. it ended up capturing the essence perfectly.

Letting ourselves decide on the main color later allowed us to adapt and find what truly represented our vision. Starting with a broad theme and narrowing it down, we always re-learn that the best decisions come from the journey itself. Believe in the process!

We commit to a design around day five, typically a Thursday. The weekend provides a brief period for everyone to reflect on the work. In Israel, we work from Sunday to Thursday, so when Sunday arrives, we have the opportunity to revisit the design we developed last week.

We can see the whole picture with fresh eyes and identify the strengths and weaknesses. That's when we start to bring order to the process. By days seven or eight, we start wrapping up our work in Figma. This is when we shift focus from creating and tweaking designs to preparing for the final presentation. Next, we build a presentation to showcase how all the pieces we've worked on fit together.

This isn't just about the homepage we've designed. We want to show how the brand looks in various places, like billboards and social media. It's our first look at the brand's potential in action.

the only question is, “is the whole greater than the sum of its parts?”

Once the presentation is ready, we gather and review it, offering feedback and making adjustments. This part of the process, which we sometimes extend by a day or two, is called "purify." It's our chance to finalize decisions and polish everything.

After refining our work, we compile the final presentation deck and give it to the client, along with all the essential assets they need. We express our thanks and begin the handoff process, and we slowly fade out. Our goal is to maintain control over the design quality and ensure a smooth transition at project completion.

Ideally, by day 11, we've completed everything. The client receives a toolkit, including the final Figma file, which is an open resource for them.

even though we aim to work quickly, we don't rush. quality takes time, so our sprints often finish around day 11 or 12, sometimes extending to day 13 or 14. during this time, we don't just sit back, we continue to enhance the brand's cohesion and finalize any remaining design elements.

Of course, there's a lot more—processes, checklists, emotions, politics—and we’re including it all in the upcoming book about facilitating brand sprints. (Basically, this article is the very short version of the book.)

what inspired you to become a designer?

home was always an atmosphere of creativity: my grandpa was an architect, my uncles are musicians, and everyone knew how to draw or write beautifully. at home, my grandpa taught me about design programs and home planning. outside the house, i was always the one drawing and writing signs for youth movements, designing prints on shirts, and even tearing out notebook pages because the title didn’t come out right.over the years, i was always enchanted by my surroundings—i chose books by their covers, looked at signs, and thought about what could be done differently and better. in all the jobs i worked in before studying design, i always enjoyed the creative parts, no matter how small.one day, i saw the phrase “find a hobby you love and turn it into your job.” then i realized that in the world of design, i can express myself and work in a job that i enjoy.

favorite shortcut?

command+z, and I wish it worked in real life

who are some of your top design inspirations?

‘buck’ studio has been my great inspiration then and now. an amazing combination of many platforms - branding, animation, 2d, 3d, etc.everything they create is precise, unique, and visually stunning, utilizing a variety of techniques. they convey messages in their own distinctive way and evoke emotions in every animation video. a few years ago, i attended one of their lectures, and it was incredible to see the thought processes, planning, and construction behind each branding or video project they bring to life.

where do you find inspiration outside of work?

instagram, of course—almost everything ends up there. books from my small home library. wherever i go, whether locally or abroad, i take pictures of beautiful and unique things i encounter, like coffee packaging, street posters, drink cans, interesting tiles and buildings, books, advertisements, and even concerts and conversations with people. anything that sparks thought and opens a door of inspiration. i can find inspiration in almost anything around me; i just need to look up.

what’s your go-to background music or podcast while designing?

i love listening to almost everything, especially to the radio, so i don’t have to bother with transferring songs, and that’s how i discover new good songs. but when i need to deeply think about branding processes, i listen to calmer songs, mainly from the 60s-80s.and a tip for old-school music lovers and avengers fans- a surprisingly good playlist- “starlord’s playlist”. thank me later.

our favorite design trend at the moment?

totally into 3d! any type, anywhere, realistic or amorphic! i’m addicted. in my eyes, it adds another dimension to every design, adds volume, and provides an opportunity to bring something new and different, playing with shapes/textures/lights. its possibilities are endless, and you can use it to reproduce everything you want and imagine.

i love working with 3d. explore and learning about the many endless possibilities it brings.

what do you enjoy most about participating in brand sprints?

first of all, from the general idea of ‘brand sprint,’ it’s amazing how you can create quick and fancy branding within 10 days. what’s great is being able to one hundred percent in the process, without distractions and without thoughts about other processes.

building branding captures the mind and the brain, and thinking about visual language engages me even after work hours. so it’s amazing to find references or think of more directions and bring them the next morning without losing momentum.

what’s your favorite part about working with under?

working in a team is the best part of the brand sprint! it’s enriching to see how other designers work live, what inspiration they bring, and how they think through and crack the brief. additionally, working in an open space (figma) allows us to adjust and add to each other’s designs, making them better and better, asking questions, and knowing that there are always several designers in the background to support and help. moreover, ‘under’ creates an atmosphere of confidence and encourages you to bring every sketch and thought, make mistakes, and try any direction that comes to mind. this allows you to work freely, creatively, and intuitively, getting new ideas and proposing new solutions, which makes teamwork in general, and working under ‘under’ in particular, so special and good.

i think, write, design, and code. i design, but i don’t mind what it is called. i do things—my things. i've got this dance playing out in my head - i'm both idealistic and pragmatic

for me, it is all about design. everything is designed, whether design practices were used or not. so, for me, everything is either lousy design, good design, or remarkable design.

but i'm also pragmatic, especially when thinking about problems. i'm drawn to complex systems, particularly design tools. i have an obsession with tools. tools are fascinating. we shape them, and then they shape us. there’s something meta in them that i’ve been drawn to since childhood. i'm drawn to things that create things: musical instruments, modular things, legos, systems, code, and design tools.

i guess i’m hooked on creativity in a meta way.

meta creativity - a desire to create and empower others to create. reflects a deep commitment to transforming and enriching the creative process by developing tools, systems, or frameworks that enhance or enable it.

how it started

when i met my wife, inbal, we immediately started working together. it felt completely natural, considering we were both designers at heart. i'm more technological, and inbal is more aestheticist, but i can say that we’re both drawn to beauty and practicality.

soon enough, we became a design team—a one-stop shop for all things design—for a couple of years. we tackled everything: branding, product design, and some other crazy projects i don’t even want to talk about. before we knew it, we juggled a few projects with a multidisciplinary team worldwide.

i can see a pattern in my career. i've always wanted to be a better designer. i thought learning programming, illustrating, marketing, and meditating—whatever, anything—would make me one.

when i took my obsession with design tools one step further and created a new design-code tool, i got into the business side of things and learned the hard way how crucial it was for improving my design game. the more i learned about business and strategy, the more i realized we needed to focus on a niche. i started reading books and articles to figure out why we were doing things the way we were.

also, we had red and negative numbers in our bank account.

also, we were already parents to two girls.

also, world pandemic.

we realized we couldn't take it any longer.

one day, my wife, inbal, said, "i saw this book you’re reading, something about “design… sprint?”, and i wondered, why aren't we doing the same thing for branding?” she continued… ”the best brand projects we’ve worked on went quickly, often within a week. i would get a great client, a great story, and collaborate. these projects were successful because i owned them. literally got shit done״.

everything clicked for me. i felt that everything i believed in was finally coming together.

that's how brand sprints were born.

this got us thinking we could develop a more defined process, create a productized service, and communicate it accordingly to the correct type of audience. so, we started doing it.

we ran our first three sprints for free. it was a new idea we were trying out, and when the pandemic hit, it was probably the right time to offer it for free!

at first, we weren’t sure how to do it right, but kept doing it. we knew we had to stick with it, even though it was tough.

it wasn’t easy. we received a lot of questions about such a controversial topic and even some different job offers, but we stuck to our plan.

even though it didn’t make much sense then, we kept running sprints. we were about making quick and fancy visual identities and developing brand stories and strategies. we finally felt we were creating something of our own.

it clicked with some people and companies. they really liked the outputs, they got it, and it felt great. finally, we were doing meaningful stuff.

we started with 10 sprints, then 20, and gradually raised our prices.

there was a time when we ran sprints one after another. it was exciting but really tough. each sprint felt like it took a lot out of us. but we kept optimizing.

sprint. rest. repeat

the sprint process is mentally intense and involves processing much information. it is not for everyone - designing is an intensive process that exercises our mental muscles. we make numerous decisions, including many micro-decisions that often go unspoken. this applies whether we are hands-on creators, creative directors, or simply work with people.

i've experienced the strain from constant work, which is why i emphasize its importance. find the freedom to do your daily activities and work according to your rules.

take extended breaks. it's not a marathon. rest and meditation between runs are not just beneficial but crucial.

how it’s going

we found a sweet spot that lets us make a profit and hire great people to ensure the success of our sprints. now, we can run about 7-10 sprints a year, and that’s it. we’ve got our well-oiled brand sprint machine going.

the brand sprints gave us the freedom and privilege to focus more on creating our own stuff.

we’re dreaming (and doing) blending software and hardware creativity tools for creators, and that's where i'm directing a lot of my and the company's energy nowadays, and i believe it has the potential to grow into something big.

the thought of not running sprints in a few years is okay with me—i love what we do, and it's fulfilling. we enjoy the brand sprint process and would love to keep doing it, but on a larger scale and with an even more exciting type of company.

even if we shift away from running sprints, we plan to share our knowledge or stay involved in branding somehow. like this evolving book and an ai assistant based on it to help others master our methods.

(in the next chapter, we will briefly go through our process. then, we will scientifically break down each part in the following chapters. see you then)

wait, i recognize this

during our research phase, we delved into tons of information about gen z, leading us to a fundamental realization. gen z looks up to the '90s in the same way that we, as someone who grew up in the '90s, looked up to the '60s! we admired the '60s for its primary, genuine, and somewhat naive essence. once we located ourselves within this admiration for the '90s, everything became clearer. it's about technology, but in a primary way - everything was at its inception, with a specific visualization and tone of voice.

design choices and visual elements

from vibrant color schemes to bold typography and seamlessly integrated visual elements, every aspect of our design was imbued with the essence of both nostalgia and modernity. it's this fusion that speaks to the heart of gen z, capturing their attention and empowering them to embrace their uniqueness. the color schemes, typography, and visual elements reflected this aesthetic, striking a balance between nostalgia and modernity. the color palette, while evoking a sense of nostalgia, remained empowering and inclusive, with shades of pink, orange, and red. bold typography served as a rebellion against conventional norms, embodying the spirit of protest and empowerment synonymous with gen z. illustrations and photography were seamlessly integrated, reminiscent of the 90´s magazines and wall collages. designing for gen z isn't just about aesthetics—it's about understanding, connection, and empowerment. it’s about authenticity.