Brand expression

At IBM, we believe the purpose of both design and designer is to guide. To provoke, to clarify, to move people emotionally and functionally forward. Whether through big transformations or everyday tasks, design should make people and business work smarter.

To create strategic and meaningful experiences for our customers, we need expertise and team work. Our design disciplines—Brand, Product, Digital, Events, Industrial, Content and Communications—help us achieve this goal across the board. Each discipline offers unique capabilities, guidance, and governance. When they work together, they create the kind of experience our customers expect from IBM.

Our visual elements consist of the basics for creating IBM communications and experiences across all media. They are grid, typeface, typography, color, imagery, illustration, infographics, iconography, and motion. They’re built on the IBM design philosophy and principles. The relationship between them has been carefully considered, which is why they work so well together. Used correctly, they make our experiences consistent for all our users.

Our sub-brand systems are parts of a greater whole. While each has unique elements, they are carefully designed to work together. Our event experiences are one of the few environments where many IBM brands, offerings, and solutions appear side by side. In these instances, it’s critical to leverage the guidance below in support of our event narratives, communications, environmental graphics, and event branding.