I-AM - brand identity design & branding agency india

With five existing stores across London, Vital Ingredient appointed I-AM with the aim of re-packaging their brand and visual language for large-scale roll out expansion. The work carried out by I-AM revolved around the Vital Ingredient proposition of providing food that is healthy, wholesome and tailor-made (and not a sandwich). The key challenge was to communicate the offer, and a very large menu, in a clear and informative way. The result is an experience in which customers can understand the process quickly and simply so they get exactly what they want and enjoy the selection and preparation that takes place right in front of them.

Having redefined the humble sandwich with Pret A Manger, Julian Metcalfe embarked on a mission to bring delicious, affordable and healthy fast food to the masses through a national network of eat-in and take-away Itsu restaurants. I-AM were asked to communicate the Itsu brand story and design the ultimate Itsu restaurant experience. I-AM set about communicating the benefits of Itsu through a new personality and delivered this message through every possible expression of the brand from Potsu one-pot meals to coffee and frozen yoghurt. A complete restaurant experience is delivered through a soft and warm aesthetic designed to appeal equally to all five senses. The Itsu experience designed by I-AM has been rolled out across the UK, and a whole new audience is being introduced to the benefits of healthy eating.

Adidas were implementing an aggressive global brand development strategy that included the introduction of a revolutionary new footwear customisation concept, Mi Adidas. I-AM were asked to create a unique brand language and in-store customer experience to communicate the proposition’s unique benefits. I-AM worked with the Adidas marketing and product development teams to develop a clear brand communication strategy and new Mi Adidas visual language. With the launch of the new fully integrated Mi Adidas brand language and in-store experience, the concept has built a new level of engagement between consumers and the Adidas brand.

By working closely with an ambitious and willing board, we implemented a radical shake-up of the business, touching every aspect of the bank’s workings and functionality. The new identity is both ultra-modern and corporate, yet radiates warmth and simple accessibility. The functionality of the branches now places the customer and their needs at the heart of the bank’s operations. The new brand and branch experience is being rolled out across the entire New India Bank estate . Twelve months after the opening of the first site the performance has greatly exceeded the board’s expectations and has been warmly received by both customers and staff.

Trading since 1994, Isherwoods have become the leading estate agent in the upper up-market sector. They are known for their ‘Select Cheltenham Lettings’, with a particular strength in the urban areas of Cheltenham, particularly the Montpellier and Landsdown areas.Originally, I-AM were asked to create a new brand identity and environment design for the Montpellier office. The new office reflects Isherwoods’ local knowledge of the Montpellier area and is a physical manifestation of the customer-focused values they hold dear. I-AM have since designed the brand and marketing strategy for the launch of the Isherwoods sales business.

Strutt and Parker specialise in land and property. They are a long-established brand, owning 50 branches across England and Scotland. I-AM were commissioned to design a new visitor experience for their offices, starting with a flagship agency on London’s Fulham Road, using the theme of partnership as a foundation for all interior and visual elements.The eye-catching, contemporary and quirky design sets the benchmark for future refurbishments and new sites. I-AM proposed a series of humorous juxtapositions to embed the theme of partnership. Influences were taken from the rural and urban, the old and new to create a witty and intrinsically British design. The interiors and strong brand identity reflect a strong sense of national heritage and aim to raise a smile. The result is a contemporary take on classic British visual themes. It has resonated hugely positively with customers and staff and continues to be developed and applied by I-AM across the Strutt & Parker estate.

Douglas and Gordon bring a highly civilised and innovative approach to estate agency. They wanted to gain an advantage in a competitive sector by expressing their unique qualities through a professional, innovative and distinctive brand experience. I-AM were asked to design premium modern environments and a memorable client experience that reflected the brand’s personality. I-AM proposed a bespoke design solution in the form of a rich, warm and inviting family of modern property showrooms. I-AM also developed a strategic, advice-driven process that showcases the role of the estate agent. We have pioneered the concept of blending digital with interior design , integrating large-scale interactive digital media. The concept has been implemented by I-AM across the Douglas and Gordon estate, each with its own personality. Refreshed branches show significant uplift, improving levels of business while reinforcing the brand’s values and its unique proposition.

Burgan Bank is a Kuwaiti financial services group and a leading financial services provider in the Middle East and North Africa. I-AM worked with Burgan Bank to produce the branding and architecture of their new Private Banking Centre in Istanbul’s Nispetiye Street, one of the most prominent locations in the city. Workshops were conducted to determine the new brand essence: hand-crafted banking. We then designed an iconic structure that embodies this essence and portrays the private and exclusive experience and services on offer. I-AM created a powerful, eye-catching and inspiring landmark with strong, bold and defined movements ensuring both a functional space where operational requirements could be met, and where a tailor-made and elegant customer experience could be offered. The façade designed with metal plate layers perforated with the brand emblem provides natural light to the building during the day, and highlights the structure through the lighting placed on the inner layer...

As the sister bank of one of Lebanon’s biggest banking groups, was keen to make a big impact on entering the Turkish market. I-AM were commissioned as architects and interior designers for the flagship branch – prominently situated in one of Istanbul’s most prestigious neighbourhoods – as well as the standard-format branches dotted around the city. With its transparent exterior and curved lines, I-AM created a design that is both welcoming and attention grabbing. The inspiring design of the flagship branch has already become an iconic structure within the city. A feature of the branches is to use the latest technology throughout the banking process in order to provide the most efficient and rewarding customer experience. A range of digital tools – touch-tables, tablets, iPhones and interactive screens – are routinely available in waiting lounges and entrance halls to welcome customers and facilitate engagement with the bank’s products and services. As for the flagship branch, the i...

IDFC – Indian Development and Finance Corporation had made its mark as the ‘one firm’ that looks after the diverse needs of infrastructure development and has focused on supporting companies to get the best return on investments. In April 2014, it became one of the latest firms, post a lull in license issuance lasting a decade, to receive their banking license. In a market with well-entrenched players, the new entity, IDFC Bank needed to be different with its services and offering. Banks within India are seen more as product pushers and less solution providers. IDFC Bank saw this as an opportunity in which it could position itself as a true financial services provider by keeping the needs of the customer first. Thus was born the idea of the “Un-Bank”.I-AM was tasked with carrying forward this brand idea. I-AM carried out extensive audits in the banking sector and mapped a distinctive and memorable customer journey which was a first within the Indian banking category. Drawing on its...

CREATING THE BEST ONE-TO-ONE BANK BRANCH CONCEPT With the goal to become the best one-to-one bank in Serbia we designed a concept that evolved the role of staff and better integrated the technology within the branch experience. We worked with the Société Générale team to develop a modular branch design, which radically improved the ‘welcome & enquiry’ stages of the customer journey, with an enhanced self-service experience to transition clients from traditional to digital channels. We also developed a kit of parts, that formed a flexible and engaging concept toolkit applicable to existing and future sites. Société Générale’s Customer Analysis and Journey Mapping We began by analysing Société Générale’s new target audiences, existing clients and the previous operational model. To do this, we visited 3 cities, and spoke to 19 customers across 3 customer groups, as well as branch teams. This profiled the lifestyle and banking, habits and needs of Société Générale customers; nec...

CREATING A DIFFERENT BANKING EXPERIENCE FOR BAWAG P.S.K We worked with Bawag P.S.K. to transform their branch network, following the split from Austrian logistics and postal service provider Post office. Collaborating closely with the core project team, consulting Bawag P.S.K. head office, branch staff and customers along the journey, to create the ‘branch network of the future,’ addressing the everyday needs of their loyal, 2.2 million strong client-base, and also to improve the integration of their online services. A key component of the brief was to provide differentiation to local, national and international banks in highly competitive market, whilst creating a welcoming environment where customers feel at home, facilitating strong relationships with its existing clientele and attracting new customers. Based on this, we created a concept for three new branch formats – Flagship, Advice Centre and Kiosk – to address varying the customer needs across the Bawag P.S.K. network. We ...

THE NEXT GENERATION OF AGILE BRANCHES FOR BANCO DE BOGOTA AT1/11 Bogota Flagship Opening and Medellin Universal Branch Design We worked with Banco de Bogota to design their next generation branch formats, to enhance their customers’ banking experience across their network. With increasing new players shifting the bank experience from physical to digital, banks are faced with customers that have new mindsets and rising expectations. People expect products and services anytime, anywhere, any place. We helped Banco de Bogota develop a branch network strategy that responds to their various customer segments’ evolving digital needs and lifestyles. During workshops with the Banco de Bogota team we reviewed the customer hierarchy and branch user groups informing the branch typologies. We also investigated the customer journey touchpoints, to define their new operating model and the integration of technology within the branch experience. Visiting 20 of their branches across 3 core citie...

REVITALISING APS MALTESE BRANCH DESIGN How do you approach the customer banking experience and deliver a set of design guidelines for future site developments? That was our task at I-AM alongside on-site local architecture firm Forsite. Driven by new levels of consumer expectations and demands, and to unleash the potential of APS we aimed to raise the bar of its customer journey whilst echoing the brand’s essence. APS History and Values APS Bank was established in 1910 as one of the projects set up by l’Unione Cattolica San Giuseppe. It was created to encourage saving habits amongst the working class. Since then it has grown into an efficient and trusted financial institution retaining personal banking as its central strength. APS’s history in banking spans across one hundred years, which has undoubtedly influenced the core values and social responsibilities they hold as a bank. The first and most significant venture was the establishment of a Savings Bank in 1910. Another, was...

T.box is the original brand of Boyner/Aymarka Group and has been reincarnated through the collaboration of I-AM’s London and Istanbul design teams. I-AM created the new brand for T.box by developing a new identity, brand communication and store design concept. I-AM have taken the new T.box identity to shopping centres and high streets all around Turkey and it seems to be causing quite a stir! The brand has continued to grow, gaining a new stream of loyal fans. We are sure that T.box will continue to stand out in the Turkish retail market. What we did Brand Identity Brand Application Retail Strategy Interior Design

With five existing stores across London, Vital Ingredient appointed I-AM with the aim of re-packaging their brand and visual language for large-scale roll out expansion. The work carried out by I-AM revolved around the Vital Ingredient proposition of providing food that is healthy, wholesome and tailor-made (and not a sandwich). The key challenge was to communicate the offer, and a very large menu, in a clear and informative way. The result is an experience in which customers can understand the process quickly and simply so they get exactly what they want and enjoy the selection and preparation that takes place right in front of them. What we did Brand Strategy Brand Positioning Brand Identity Competitive Market Review Interior Design Packaging Design

Having redefined the humble sandwich with Pret A Manger, Julian Metcalfe embarked on a mission to bring delicious, affordable and healthy fast food to the masses through a national network of eat-in and take-away Itsu restaurants. I-AM were asked to communicate the Itsu brand story and design the ultimate Itsu restaurant experience. I-AM set about communicating the benefits of Itsu through a new personality and delivered this message through every possible expression of the brand from Potsu one-pot meals to coffee and frozen yoghurt. A complete restaurant experience is delivered through a soft and warm aesthetic designed to appeal equally to all five senses. The Itsu experience designed by I-AM has been rolled out across the UK, and a whole new audience is being introduced to the benefits of healthy eating. What we did Brand Identity Brand Application Interior Design Packaging Design Multi-sensory Consulting

Adidas were implementing an aggressive global brand development strategy that included the introduction of a revolutionary new footwear customisation concept, Mi Adidas. I-AM were asked to create a unique brand language and in-store customer experience to communicate the proposition’s unique benefits. I-AM worked with the Adidas marketing and product development teams to develop a clear brand communication strategy and new Mi Adidas visual language. With the launch of the new fully integrated Mi Adidas brand language and in-store experience, the concept has built a new level of engagement between consumers and the Adidas brand. What we did Brand Identity Brand Application Visual Language Interior Design

Klinik 32 is a newly established dental clinic situated in Nişantaşı, Istanbul. I-AM were commissioned to design a new patient experience for the clinic that included designing the branding as well as the interior design of the space. The eye-catching and cosy design sets the benchmark for future medical clinics. I-AM proposed an approach that differentiated the space from other conventional clinics. The aim was to create a homely environment where customers can feel relaxed. With its warm atmosphere and friendly design I-AM proposed an alternative to the cold, white-wall appearance of medical institutions. Home-like qualities such as wooden floors, coloured walls and pendant lighting were implemented to serve this goal. The result is an atmosphere that makes customers feel welcome and less intimidated. I-AM proposed an alternative design approach to the health sector that has been very well received by staff and patients alike. What we did Brand Identity Brand Mark Brand Appl...

The arrival of new competitors, and the arrival of email and web have meant that the past decade has been one of transformation for the Post Office . I-AM were asked to re-think the Crown Post Offices and create an efficient experience that would build the Post Office brand perception over the next ten years. Taking such a well-loved, recognisable brand and adapting it for an ever-changing market place was an exercise in simplification and clarity of communication. The mark itself was stripped back to basics with a brighter, cleaner colour palette. The visual language style utilises a friendly type style and simple illustration. The customer process in the new Crown Post Offices also required a rethink of the communication strategy to help reduce waiting times. Central to this solution was the goal of removing the infamous standing queues from the Post Office. This goal has now become a reality. The ideas that I-AM developed are now being rolled out across the nation’s Post Office ...