A foundational moment.
Photo: © Terence Bordon for Square
Every company faces foundational moments—times when the course shifts, and the brand must decide what it stands for. With Jack Dorsey’s return, Square entered one of these transformative periods, focused on the future.
Square is a globally recognized brand, built on sharp design, simplicity, and a relentless commitment to its Sellers. But in the chaos of growth and complexity, some of that clarity had started to blur. As Head of Brand, my mission was simple: bring Square back to its essence.
Our brand principles don’t just sit in a deck. They serve as a north star—guiding creative, product, and marketing teams to ensure every touchpoint reflects who we are at our core.
The process.
Great brands don’t happen in isolation. They happen when you listen. Our first step? Going straight to our Sellers, developers, and partners — the people who rely on Square every day.
Using a simple but powerful brand tracker, we asked just two fundamental questions:
What do our products mean to you?
What do you think our brand stands for?
From there, we distilled the responses down to three governing principles—not just values, but filters for every decision we make.
Real
We design for the people who choose the hustle.
Simple
We build with purpose.
We create the essentials that transcend our industry.
Non-conforming
We break systems and assumptions.
We don’t settle for complacency.
This project is a brand positioning exercise.
All visuals are for illustration purposes only.
This project is a brand positioning exercise. All visuals are for illustration purposes only.
Brand principles mean nothing if they’re just words on a page. To embed them into Square’s DNA, we ran a design sprint across teams, bringing together product designers, marketers, and communicators. The goal? Push the limits of these principles—exploring what they meant not just in theory, but in execution.
This work laid the foundation for a refreshed creative and product approach—one that embodies these principles at every level.
Show. Don’t tell.
REAL: product photography. With smudges and scratches.
SIMPLE: user interface that shows you just what you need.
NON-CONFORMING: global consistency, local relevance. No matter where.
The impact: a Brand with Conviction.
Brand transformation doesn’t happen overnight. And honestly, what does “finished” even mean? This was never about a flashy rebrand. It was about re-centering what makes Square, Square.
Now, these principles guide every product, campaign, and decision—ensuring that Square stays sharp, distinct, and unwavering in its mission.
Not every brand knows who they are. Square does.
Role: ECD, Brand
The team: