Leland Maschmeyer on Designing Identity as a Business System

Brand is no longer just about how it speaks—but how it performs. At the 2025 D&AD Festival, I sat down with Leland Maschmeyer, Co-founder and CEO of global design firm COLLINS, to explore how branding has evolved beyond identity into a strategic system that generates business outcomes.

This interview wasn’t merely a continuation of my conversation with his partner, Brian Collins, from the previous year—it was a deep dive into how design, branding, and capital strategy now move in concert.

Over the course of our conversation, Leland shares how AI is reshaping design, the shift from traditional branding to performance-driven systems, how COLLINS is evolving its approach to meet the demands of a changing industry, and more.

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AI and the Future of the Design Industry

Chad: The design world seems deeply shaken by the rise of generative AI. Has COLLINS felt that same sense of disruption?

Leland: Absolutely. Some parts of the industry are doing well, but everyone is facing a common challenge: AI. Generative AI is an inevitable future. Maybe not immediately, but given the investment pouring into it, we all need to confront the question: “How do we evolve in the age of AI?”

Chad: Many agencies are struggling to define their role in a rapidly changing design landscape. How has COLLINS been navigating this shift?

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Leland: We see this as the perfect time to prepare for what’s coming. Instead of reacting, we’re spending our energy imagining what kind of company we need to become over the next 5 to 10 years.

COLLINS’ Strategic Expansion

Chad: To me, COLLINS seems like more than a branding studio now. You’ve clearly moved deeper into strategy. What changed?

Leland: Over the last four years, we’ve expanded the core of what we do. We still focus on brand identity strategy, but we now approach it through the lens of value creation. The core question is: “Why is your company different?”

Many companies can’t answer that clearly. Without that difference, they can’t justify premium pricing or build brand equity. In that case, they’re just another commodity.

Chad: So you’re more of a strategic partner than a design studio?

Leland: Exactly. We help companies redefine their market value—not just through design but through strategy, brand, and financial performance. We work with CEOs, boards, and private equity firms. In today’s world, those three pillars—brand, strategy, and capital—must move together to create real value.

Speaking the Language of Business

Chad: I’ve had opportunities to work with private equity firms recently. What should designers or branding partners keep in mind when collaborating with PE stakeholders?

Leland: First, you need to change your language. PE firms don’t evaluate ideas emotionally—they evaluate through numbers and structure. You need to explain how a design decision contributes to performance. Not just beauty—but how it boosts brand equity, customer loyalty, and profitability.

We’ve been developing our identity systems into something we call “Augments”—tools designed for both strategic clarity and business performance.

Also, understand how capital flows. You need to link design to EBITDA, revenue, and market positioning. Without that, even a brilliant idea won’t gain traction.

Ultimately, what matters is how design performs. Not just its visual impact, but how it drives strategic and financial outcomes. That’s why we’ve been developing our identity systems into something we call “Augments”—tools designed for both strategic clarity and business performance.

Chad: Absolutely. Whether it’s branding or advertising, what matters most is how it impacts the client’s business. That’s what separates us from vendors—we become true partners.

The New Role of Brand Systems

Chad: Do you think treating brand identity purely as language has become a limitation?

Leland: Yes. For years, we’ve treated brand identity as a communication tool—focused on what it says and how it says it. But that’s no longer enough. We need to ask: Is messaging alone sufficient?

The most advanced brand systems should be designed along three axes: Concept, Aesthetic, and Performance.

Chad: Then what should brand identity evolve into?

Leland: It must go beyond signaling. A brand system should be a tool for opening business opportunities, enhancing organizational capability, and designing performance.

Chad: What are the key components of a next-generation identity system?

Leland: The most advanced brand systems should be designed along three axes: Concept, Aesthetic, and Performance. When these elements are aligned, brands can create real, measurable value.

Chad: It sounds like a brand system should be strategic by design.

Leland: Exactly. That’s the heart of what we mean by Augments. At COLLINS, we’re focused on turning that philosophy into actionable systems.

Chad: Can you elaborate on what Augments means?

Leland: Identity systems shouldn’t just look good—they should function as operating systems for strategy. For instance, a B2B fintech company and a CPG brand have very different identity needs.

One needs to simplify complexity. The other must communicate multiple layers in limited space. Performance goals differ—yet we often design with a one-size-fits-all mindset.

Identity systems shouldn’t just look good—they should function as operating systems for strategy.

Augments are about optimizing design components to meet specific business needs. Not just style—but a tailored system calibrated to perform in its unique context.

The Quartz Revolution and the Strategic Designer

Chad: In your talk at D&AD, you made a compelling comparison between the Quartz Revolution in the watch industry and today’s design landscape. Could you elaborate?

Leland: Absolutely. The watch industry was rocked by the advent of quartz technology. Suddenly, more accurate, affordable watches could be mass produced—nearly eliminating the value of traditional luxury watchmakers. But those brands pivoted.

They leaned into “complications”—intricate, handcrafted, mechanically complex timepieces. They redefined themselves not just as timekeepers but as cultural artifacts and feats of engineering.

Designers must now evolve from stylists to strategic engineers—those who architect systems that deliver measurable outcomes.

I think design is facing a similar inflection point. Generative AI can now replicate visual styles in seconds. So we must ask ourselves: what are we actually making? We’re not just creators of attractive imagery—we must become visual problem-solvers who navigate brand and business complexity. That’s why I refer to this moment as our “Quartz Revolution.”

Our focus must shift to Augments—systems that enhance business performance. Just as complications became the defining feature of luxury watches, Augments must become our industry’s answer to complexity. Designers must now evolve from stylists to strategic engineers—those who architect systems that deliver measurable outcomes.

Chad: I couldn’t agree more. Especially in Korea’s creative industry, where pricing competition dominates, your point underscores how crucial it is to shift toward performance-based strategy.

A Learning Culture at COLLINS

Chad: I’d love to hear about your internal culture. I understand COLLINS promotes a “low power gap” environment?

Leland: Yes. We intentionally try to reduce hierarchy. Even our most junior designers can say, “I don’t think this works,” and be heard. That’s how we learn. We call ourselves a “learning hospital” because our strength lies in fresh thinking.

And let’s be honest—the ones closest to the work often see what the rest of us miss. So we encourage open feedback, experimentation, and yes—even failure.

Bridging the Design–Business Gap

Chad: Any final words for designers or brand leaders—especially in Korea?

Leland: Korean design is world-class. But here’s a message I’d share globally: we need to understand design through a business lens. Designers don’t just create beauty—we create value and price. That shift is how we elevate the industry.

Designers don’t just create beauty—we create value and price. That shift is how we elevate the industry.

One more thing. I’ve seen many designers start studios too quickly. Being a good designer doesn’t mean you’re ready to run a business. Design is not just art—it’s business.

If you don’t understand cost structures, client value, or pricing models, you won’t survive. So if you want to launch a studio—study business. Beauty alone won’t sustain a company. Structure does.

Chad: Thank you for this rich conversation. Hearing how design can truly shape strategy and business has been incredibly inspiring.

Leland: Thank you. I hope more conversations like this happen.

Beyond Identity: Designing What Works

My conversation with Leland was both razor-sharp and deeply inspiring. His insights pierced beyond branding into the essence of what companies—and creative agencies—must become. In a world dominated by commoditization and technological upheaval, we need more than identity. We need systems. We need structures that can perform.

Branding agencies must now evolve from crafting visuals to designing better futures. The true role of branding lies not in appearance—but in how it works.
This is not the end of identity. It’s the beginning of its evolution.