STUDIO INSIGHT
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMcloud. And over the past 10 years, Dropbox built
an insanely successful business with hundreds
of millions of users around the world.
But Dropbox was steadily growing with new
products. So the company needed a better, larger
vision for its future and where it was going. It had
outgrown its old story. Working with Dropbox’s
great in-house team, we conducted a series of
workshops, interviews and research. This led
to redefining the company’s future not just as a
“hard drive in the cloud,” but also as the fulcrum
for creativity in people’s daily lives.
Then we visualised that future. We showed
how to amplify their customers’ creativity. We
used unexpected combinations of ideas, art,
illustration, photography, and film, honouring
the collisions and serendipitous moments of the
creative process. It all helped to build a bigger
story and a better future for Dropbox. (And a
smashing IPO [initial public offering], too.)
People are not just seeking products or
brands. People are seeking their better, future
selves. So a brand should be a mentor of things to
come, helping people to advance their futures.
Do you and your team feel affected by the
social media backlash you get when working on
a high-profile rebrand such as Dropbox?
If you work for an audience then you must be
willing to hear whatever the audience says.
It’s the business we’re in. And if you’re open to
actually listening, you’ll likely learn something.
Brand design systems unfold over time.
Seemingly complex work that we launched with
our clients a year ago now makes much more
sense a year later. Design creates both short-
and long-term value. We aim our efforts at both
of those scales.
Obviously, it’s nice when people love what you
do. But accolades can be distracting, too. So
don’t let too much praise or criticism bother you.
Both are traps. Keep your eye on the ball.
I love what Neil Gaiman said. “Remember:
When people tell you something’s wrong or
doesn’t work for them, they are almost always
right. When they tell you exactly what they
think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost
always wrong.”
How can brands and studios deal with the
public being sceptical about brands pushing
social messages while selling products?
Aristotle might help. He believed that convincing
messages are composed of three things: ethos,
pathos and logos. Ethos persuades through
credibility and character. Pathos by appealing to
emotions. Logos through logic and reason.
We use these modes of persuasion all the
time. But these only succeed when a company
is sincere – and behaves authentically to what it
really is. That’s how you build enduring relevance.
BRIAN COLLINS
Chief creative officer and co-founder
Brian Collins is a designer, educator and CCO of COLLINS. He was
previously the chief creative officer of Ogilvy’s Brand Integration Group
(BIG). In 2019, COLLINS was named the first Design Agency of the Year
by the Ad Age A-List & Creativity Awards.JUNE 2019
Top: COLLINS
helped Ogilvy
shape its future.
The company also
transformed the
logo from David
Ogilvy’s signature
to a redrawn
version of his
favourite typeface,
Baskerville.Left and above:
Dropbox’s identity
celebrates the
weird and
wonderful
moments of the
creative process.