“You always have to look inside to really understand. Because all design at the end of the day falls flat if it doesn’t connect with customers—if it doesn’t understand the market that you’re in, if it doesn’t understand the problem that your specific customers are trying to solve.” Daniel Scrivner has led a unique and design-centric career that’s taken him from Apple to Square to the C-suite at Flow. We discussed how this focus has explored his work as a brand builder this week on the On Brand podcast.

About Daniel Scrivener

From college dropout to Head of Design at Square to CEO of Flow, a simple project management software used by teams like Apple, Shopify, TED and Harvard to manage projects and tasks, collaborate and stay productive, Daniel Scrivner’s path to success has been anything but typical. Today he’s considered a leader in his field, with numerous design awards and accolades under his belt and a client roster that includes household names like Nike and Disney.

Episode Highlights

The trouble with design. “Design is a word that’s lost a lot of value. It doesn’t have a good shared meaning,” Daniel noted as we began our show. However, he offered us his definition which is a big improvement: “It’s an approach to problem solving that involves both the quantitative and qualitative.”

How does design inform brand experience? “You have to make sure your values are threaded into everything. You have to have a competency in storytelling in order to build your aesthetic toolbox. About 80-90% is the idea. Only 10-20% is the execution.

The questions to ask before embarking on a rebrand. While Daniel relayed many of the background questions they asked at Flow in approaching their rebrand, one was especially helpful: “What can we create that no one else can? How can we own what is lacking in the productivity space?”

What brand has made Daniel smile recently? Daniel referenced a new probiotic called Seed because of how they’re “different from their competitors.”

To learn more, go to getflow.com and check out Daniel’s personal website.

As We Wrap …

Did you hear something you liked on this episode or another? Do you have a question you’d like our guests to answer? Let me know on Twitter using the hashtag #OnBrandPodcast and you may just hear your thoughts here on the show.

On Brand is sponsored by my book Brand Now. Discover the seven dynamics to help your brand stand out in our crowded, distracted world. Order now and get special digital extras. Learn more.

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