Brand and design systems for products that are hard to explain
For B2B software, deep-tech and industrial companies whose technology has outgrown how they look. We design the name, identity and documented design system, so enterprise buyers see a serious supplier from the first click to the live product.
Your engineering is years ahead of how you look
Buyers meet the brand before they meet the technology. When the website looks a decade older than the product and every release adds another shade of blue, they read you as a smaller, riskier supplier than you are.
- A name that boxes you into one market when the technology fits several.
- Marketing made piece by piece, with no two pieces saying the same thing.
- A UI that gets less consistent with every release.
- Agencies that either dumb the technology down or copy the datasheet word for word.
A name with room for the next market
We start with how your buyers decide. The engineer and the procurement lead should both see why you beat the alternatives, in the same meeting.
Naming
A name that travels across verticals, so a new market doesn't mean a new brand.
Visual identity
Logotype, colour, type and visual language that make you look like the category leader, not the small supplier.
One brand, four verticals
Capillary Concrete became CapillaryFlow: one brand and one website for four verticals instead of an identity for each.
A design system your developers keep using
Your developers find the answer in the documentation, not on a call with us. That's the standard we write it to.
Design tokens
One source for colour, spacing, type and radius. Change a value once and the whole product follows, so design debt stops piling up.
Component library
Buttons, forms, navigation and data displays documented in Figma, so engineering builds them without guessing.
Data visualisation
Charts and technical illustration that stay readable to specialists, because a confusing screen can stall a deal.
AI interface patterns
Confidence indicators and progressive disclosure, so users can check what an AI feature tells them and learn to trust it.
Usage guidelines
When to use each pattern, and why. New screens then match the rest without a designer in the room.
A design system nobody adopts is just a PDF
We built and shipped MuchSkills ourselves, starting from a spreadsheet prototype. We know which rules survive a real release schedule.
- 01
Decode
Map how your buyers decide and where the product has to earn their trust.
- 02
Identity
Name, logotype, colour, type and visual language, tested against your competitors.
- 03
System
Tokens, components and documentation your engineers can build from.
- 04
Adoption
We work alongside your in-house team through launch until the system is in daily use.
One brand, twice the traffic
- +100%
website traffic, year on year
- +777%
direct sales leads from equestrian buyers
We worked closely with a design agency [Up Strategy Lab] to shape our core messages, values, and tone of voice. That foundation guided both our visual identity and the new website... it's easier to stay consistent across channels and audiences, and we're better equipped for relevant, high-quality content. Internally, it's given us a clearer sense of direction and something to feel proud of. Externally, it helps people understand who we are, making us more recognisable and easier to trust.
Sandra WikströmMarketing Specialist, Algeno We have worked with Up Strategy Lab for several years now. From handling our rebrand from AiraPower to Freepower to taking care of all our web design and development work as well as our app design, their support and advice have been key to helping us stay consistent as the company has grown.
Jake SlatnickCEO, Freepower
It has been great working with UpStrategy over the last 4 years. From a complete rebranding of our company to a new website and partner/distributor portal they handled everything and went above and beyond what was expected. We have definitely seen an improvement in how our business presents on the web and in person. Our marketing pieces are cohesive and look amazing. Our social media has been performing very well as far as generating web based leads for our sales staff. I would definitely recommend UpStrategy to anyone looking to rebrand. They handled everything from website to marketing materials to social media. Everything is organized and looks inviting.
Cory Blair, CGCSSales and Business Development Manager, CapillaryFlow
The brands we have built.
Logo, identity and design system
- Sourcing AlliesLogo and design system↗
- Svenska GeotechLogo and design system↗
- MuchSkillsLogo and design system↗
- FreepowerLogo and design system↗
- Propellion LabsLogo and design system↗
- CapillaryFlowLogo and design system↗
- EpiAxis TherapeuticsLogo and design system↗
- ChargeNodeLogo and design system↗
- Cynergy BlueLogo and design system↗
- ProtoAnythingLogo and design system↗
- AlgenoLogo and design system↗
- BlimpLogo and design system↗
Related work
Ask these before the rebrand, not after launch
What does a B2B design system include?
A B2B design system includes design tokens for colour, spacing, typography and radius, a documented component library in Figma, and usage guidelines that tie the product to the brand identity. For technical products we add data visualisation and, where relevant, AI interface patterns. Your engineers can then build a new screen that looks and behaves like the rest without waiting for a designer.
How long does a rebrand and design system project take?
Most brand and design system projects at Up Strategy Lab take three to six months. Published projects have ranged from one month for Lolo to more than a year for CapillaryFlow and FreePower. The Frontgrade Gaisler brand evolution, website and SEO took six months. A new name and identity across several markets takes longer than a system for one product.
Can our developers maintain the design system after handover?
Yes. The design system is documented in Figma, with tokens and components structured the way engineers build, so your team can extend it without us. We also work alongside your in-house developers through launch and adoption instead of stopping at handover, so the system is already in daily use before we step back.
Do you do branding for deep-tech and hardware companies, or only software?
Both. As well as B2B software, we do brand and design system work for deep-tech, hardware and industrial companies, including Viking Analytics, TG0, Njord Medtech, ChargeNode and Mentice. We start by learning how the technology works and how specialist buyers judge it, so the brand neither dumbs it down nor repeats the datasheet.
Where is Up Strategy Lab based?
Up Strategy Lab is a B2B design and strategy studio in Gothenburg, Sweden, founded in 2018. We work with clients across Europe, the US and Asia. The studio is led by co-founders Daniel Nilsson and Noel Braganza, and Yunan Xing leads digital product design.
How do we start a brand or design system project?
Start with a consultation. We look at the brand and the product first and agree what to fix before you commit a larger budget. Projects are priced to the scope, so tell us your budget and we'll show what fits.
Show us what you've built
Book a consultation and walk us through the product, your markets and where the brand falls short. We'll tell you what we'd fix first.