Branding and design go through cyclical trends just like anything else. We’ve seen our fair share—equivalents of the puka shell necklace, “mall bangs,” and bellbottoms. When I was in the early days of my career, we were welcoming the rise of minimalism after the MySpace era (think sparkling marquees and tiled, animated GIFs). Embracing the almighty Grid ( 🙌 ) was as good as Sunday service for even the budding designer such as myself circa 2009. So, while illustrated branding isn’t a new thing, its return to the stage is both strategic and aesthetically pleasing.