Designed to flex
From consistency to cohesion
In today’s decentralized brand landscape, fluency matters more than uniformity.
“It's about equipping teams to think in brand,” said Carolyn Griffin. “So they can move with more autonomy and still land on-brand.”
This shift isn’t about loosening control — it’s about building resilience. Especially when paired with platforms like Frontify, where brand guidelines, design systems, and asset libraries live in one place.
Why systems matter more than rules
Mozilla had to transform from a single-product identity to a house of brands. “That meant stepping back and asking: what anchors us?” shared Amy Bebbington.
The answer? A modular, scalable design system — structured to adapt across teams, time zones, and product lifecycles. From Firefox to Mozilla VPN, flexibility is built into the foundation.
“When we’re not dogmatic about what the brand is or isn’t,” Amy added, “we open up possibilities for people to create with us — not just for us.”
Building for in-between moments
Most brand experiences don’t happen in hero campaigns. They happen in quick, everyday interactions — a favicon, a support tooltip, a social comment.
Luke Thompson emphasized: “You’ve got to define what’s fixed and what’s flexible. Then test it. Stretch it. See what breaks.”
With the right flex zones, brands can show up in micro-moments without losing clarity or character.
Trust through transparency
Flexibility also means letting go of top-down control. But that only works if teams trust the system.
“Branding is increasingly participatory,” said Carolyn. “You’ve got to make it easy for people to play along.”
That means systems must be accessible, intuitive, and actionable — not locked away in a PDF. Frontify’s Design System and Brand Guidelines features help embed clarity into everyday workflows.
Designing for change
Whether it’s a reorg, a product pivot, or a cultural shift — change is constant. Great brand systems don’t resist it — they’re built to adapt.
At Mozilla, flexibility ensures continuity through evolution. At JKR, it empowers clients to scale and stay relevant.
As Amy put it: “A strong brand system is your runway. It gives you space to move, without losing lift.”
Don’t just manage assets. Empower teams.
If your brand is scaling, shifting, or just getting started, ask yourself:
→ Is your brand system built to flex — or destined to break?
Watch the full episode to see how Mozilla and JKR turn flexibility into creative power.
- Design systems are tools for expression. They offer structure and space — helping teams stay on-brand while adapting to new contexts.
- Rules age fast. Systems scale smart. Static guidelines fall behind. Smart design systems grow with your brand.
- Brand consistency is not brand sameness. Cohesion matters more than replication. Brands must flex to resonate.
- Collaboration demands clarity. Flexibility thrives when internal and external teams know the boundaries — and the possibilities.
- Global reach needs modular thinking. With reusable components, brands can adapt locally without diluting their DNA.
Amy Bebbington
Amy Bebbington
Carolyn Griffin
Carolyn Griffin
Luke Thompson
Luke Thompson
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Digge Zetterberg
