Unlock imagination, insight and design excellence as driving forces behind the category–leading brands
We are a curiosity-driven independent branding and design firm providing a full range of integrated research, strategy, brand identity development, wayfinding, and brand experience services to help our clients create, grow, and manage their brands.
Photo by Koy+Winkel
We connect people with ideas through transformative brands
From corporations to NGOs, we strive to create, shape, and grow brands that unlock the power of synergy for their advance. We aspire to build authentic brands that connect people and are connected to the world around them, enhancing the life of the communities they impact.
See how’ve helped Planet to reinforce its status of a globally connected brand
View Case Study
We connect brands with people in brand experience environments
Photography by Koy+Winkel
With our rock-solid wayfinding & environmental graphic design project management, creative strategy, design approach, and expert network of suppliers and manufacturers, we help our clients to expand their brands into physical environments and build tactile branding experiences
See how’ve helped Contentful to translate its brand into its new Berlin agile workplace
View Case Study
We connect products with customers through compelling brand identity systems
We help brands to (re)discover their true essence, purpose, and character. We help them to unlock their unique opportunities and empower them to seek, identify and establish long-lasting relationships with their customers and audiences.
See how’ve helped Gulec Chemicals to become a world leader in safe, halogen-free retardancy,
View Case Study
We empower brands connect diverse audiences to amplify their impact
No matter whether B2B, B2C or B2G, we help brands to build comprehensive positioning always at the intersection of all target groups, cultures and audiences to amplify and advance their missions
See how’ve helped Ipso to unlock the universal value of smile across diverse cultures
View Case StudyThe Three Principles of Our Work
Stay curious, engaged and authentic
We are grateful for every given opportunity to solve creative and strategic challenges of the organizations we work with. It is a privilege to peek behind the scenes and understand how things work. While we adhere to our proven challenge-solving framework, we approach each project with genuine curiosity and refrain from using shortcuts.
Keep fair pricing
We are not expensive, though we are also not a budget agency. We pursue fair pricing and fair compensation. Our hourly rates align with German branding/design industry standards, and we offer reasonable discounts to non-profit organizations or startups that have limited resources but unlimited drive for doing good things.
Be kind, do good
Empathy, respect, and kindness lay the foundation of every successful project. We treat our clients, colleagues, contractors, and suppliers as equal. We foster open communication and proactively mitigate and solve challenges that occur.
We refrain from working with organizations that promote hatred, injustice or are untruthful about their products or services. We don’t do free pitches and never ask our suppliers for free work.
People at Startling Brands
CREATIVE DIRECTION
Mario Dzurila
ART DIRECTION
Daniil Petunov
STRATEGY/RESEARCH
Marta Mokhnach
PM/RESEARCH
Niklas Franz
3D
Filip Janik
AUDIO
Paul Bonomo
Press & Media Recognition
Contentful
The architectural platform Amazing Architecture features this project in “The Future Workspace: Contentful Berlin, Germany by toi toi toi creative studio“
The graphic design community platform Abduzeedo writes about how “Startling Brands helps Contentful to create a three dimensional brand experience in its new office“
The Middle East branding publication Brandberries praises Contentful project in their feature about “Celebrating The Inclusivity And Playfulness Of The Tech Unicorn Brand Through Wayfinding And Spatial Graphic Design“
“Smart, playful, inclusive: This is a different signage system” writes leading German graphic design magazine Page in a feature about our wayfinding and environmental graphic design project we did for Contentful.
The Design Made in Germany publication features this project on their top list.
The global architectural and interior design publication Frame asks “IS THIS BERLIN OFFICE THE HEIGHT OF AGILE WORKPLACE DESIGN?” in the feature about our the work of interior designer partners T3 toi toi toi creative studio.
The OnOffice magazine dedicated architecture and design at work says that “Wellness and inclusivity are at the heart of the new Contentful hub in Berlin” in the feature about our the work of interior designer partners T3 toi toi toi creative studio.
Ipso (International Psychosocial Organization)
Our rebranding of International Psychosocial Organization gets featured in the Design Made in Germany,
as well as in Brand New, and by Transform Magazine.
Gulec Chemicals
Our integrated B2B global branding and marketing solution for Gulec Chemicals gets featured in the leading German design publication Design Made in Germany
as well as in Brandberries, the number one branding gateway of the Middle East and Africa.
and gets spotted by Brand New.
The global magazine for rebranding and brand development Transform also features our work in Transform Monday
Safetown
“Who says insurance can’t be playful?” asks AIGA’s Eye on Design in their feature about Safetown
The logo and identity system we’ve developed for a Scandinavian online insurance brand Safetown has been spotted by Brand New.
A leading Slovak design and marketing magazine Sketcher writes about Startling Brands’s unconventional approach to the insurance branding.
Dacha Media
The logo + identity system we’ve developed for Dacha Media has been featured on various branding and identity design publications. veteran branding blog The Branding Source writes about how Startling Brands interprets Dacha Media
Leading publication on brand and corporate design, Brand New features Dacha Media in their spotted section.
London based global magazine for rebranding and brand development Transform reviews our identity as “cutting-through in a heavily media-centric city“ in their Transform Tuesday roundup.