Build first, design once you have traction. Back in the golden days of Web 2.0 - you know, a decade ago! - design was often an afterthought when building startups. Product was king, and if you found time to be novel in your design, you were lauded for going the extra mile and didn’t think about branding until you had both traction and funding. News products boasted sans serif fonts for their wordmark, and social media sites competed for a unique shade of blue. UX & UI received slightly more focus, but suffice it to say that ensuring your product had memorable branding wasn’t often listed high on the priorities roadmap. It was an “if we have time” or “when we need it” decision.

I started my career in digital branding, but my agency never got to work in the startup space, as there just wasn’t any demand. It wasn’t necessarily their fault; startups were gaining traction WITHOUT having to prioritize this aspect of their product/site because in many verticals they were the only player in their particular space.. Further, building and developing a full brand platform/brand book was (and still is) expensive. Think high five/low six figures at a minimum!

How things have changed…thankfully. Let’s look at just one industry: Fintech. In the Americas alone, fintech startups have basically doubled in the last four years; that number has tripled in EMEA. No longer can you just exist by creating a product; your product needs to be compelling to use AND your brand needs to be memorable, especially if you’re launching in an established space. People have begun to expect elegant design, intuitive UI, and a product that is just easier to use than the competitors. But that’s not the whole picture.

At Tanooki, we’ve solved the product portion of the design problem with our Sprint Zero process. For those founders who are starting from just an idea or are looking to create a memorable brand, we also partner to provide startup-centric branding via a Brand Sprint. Over the course of 2-3 weeks (as opposed to 2-3 months at larger agencies), the Tanooki design team can get to the heart of your brand and determine a basic set of assets including a logo, typography, and positioning statement in the form of a brand manifesto. That’s it. No six-month engagement, no 5-figure price tag.



There’s another added benefit of going through a Tanooki Brand Sprint: if you’re also thinking through product design, our Sprint Zero moves even faster than usual because we already know what your brand looks like and its personality. And just like the Sprint Zero, a Brand Sprint’s deliverables can go with you if you decide to build your product yourself. Of course, we’d rather you build with us. :)