UX is the Brand
Earlier today, Oliver Reichenstein asked,
“Brand=UX or UX=Brand? That is here the question…”
In my opinion, Brand = UX. Why? Because, it’s the User Experience that defines the Brand. The UX symbolizes the quality and communicates the value of the Brand. Whether it is the products we use, the messages we consume or the service we receive, we see a Brand through the way in which we experience it.
Paul Rand wrote,
“A logo derives its meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.”
“… [A logo] derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes.”
The same can be said for Brand and User Experience. I love my iPhone. I love how it changed the way in which I thought about a mobile device. I love the interface, the interactions and all the apps I’ve installed. It looks, feels and works like a quality product. I can feel the countless hours of development and craft of the experience… it defines how I feel about Apple and how I see them in the world.
I know very little about Spotify, but I feel good about their Brand because I enjoy using their product. On the other hand, I hate Ryanair. Outside the plane, the biggest point of interaction with them is their cheap and nasty website. Everything from its UI, to the booking process, to its colours and animated gifs make me feel dirty inside… and that’s exactly how I feel about them. I judge Ryanair through the experiences I’ve had with them.
It’s the doors to the shop, the online booking process, the product aftercare, the service in the restaurant, the boarding process, the letter and the seat in the car that define the Brand. The User Experience is the Brand.