Adobe Brand Refresh 2023
In 2019, I led Adobe's Future Brand team, exploring where the company's identity could go next. In 2022, the agency leading the brand refresh shared a new icon and wordmark, and a peer and I recognized it at once. It was one of our Future Brand explorations, and its time had come. We told AJ Joseph, VP of Creative, that the mark spoke to Adobe's legacy while still feeling modern and approachable. He and Alejandro Chavetta, our Executive Creative Director, weren't sold at first, but came around once they saw it working, and Alejandro became the one who drove it home from there. I also served as Senior Creative Director on the motion toolkit that extended the new system into motion, working alongside Angela Fischer, who led RED systems and the brand book.
The refresh went public in Q2 2023: a new icon, wordmark and visual language built to feel more modern and consistent without losing Adobe's legacy, replacing what had become scattered, team-by-team brand execution. Fast Company later argued it was "better than any logo refresh in recent memory."
The direction from that original call was later codified into Adobe's internal Brand Book for Creators, the company's master guideline for the identity system.
Credits
John Caponi / Senior Creative Director / Refresh brand systems and motion toolkit / Adobe Future Brand team lead
Michael Jarrott, Kendall Plant, E Larson / Designers / Adobe Future Brand team
Eddie Yuen / Creative Marketing Manager / Adobe Future Brand team
Angela Fischer / Senior Creative Director / Refresh brand systems and brand book
Kashka Pregowska-Czerw / Senior Creative Director / Refresh brand systems
Peter Chase / Writer and Editor
Alejandro Chavetta / Executive Creative Director / Driver
AJ Joseph / VP of Creative
Adobe Future Brand Presentation 2019