Hand Drawn Brands are Back: How to Add Character Without a Rebrand

For a while, it felt like every brand was headed in the same direction. Logos got flatter. Fonts got cleaner. Brands stripped away anything that felt too decorative, quirky, or complicated in the name of being modern. I always refer to this as the Vitaminwater effect: bright colors, clean sans-serifs, stripped-down packaging.

Design is a lot like physics in that every action has a reaction. Design trends are a reaction to what’s happening in society and culture. During this time, people were craving simplicity as a reaction to overwhelming consumerism. Brands were also learning how to manage themselves across more and more touch points–figuring out how to stay on brand in-person, across social media and the internet, in your inbox, on their packaging.

But now? We’re swinging back, craving imperfection, seeking out human-ness. And it makes so much sense when we dig a little deeper.

We spent years simplifying. Now we're craving character.

After years of simplistic branding, we lost so much character and brands became generic. At the start, hyper clean design stood out on the shelves, but now it’s the more illustrative and detailed work that stands apart again. It’s this reaction along with a societal distain for AI that has us craving more. Hand-drawn type. Imperfect illustrations. Mascots. Playful packaging. Things that look like an actual person sat down with a pencil, pen, paintbrush, or iPad and made something. Character, personality, soul.

And something even more interesting is emerging from this, too.

As more and more businesses generate visuals with AI, human-made design now feels more premium. Today, anyone can create a polished graphic with the click of a mouse. It takes true artistry to craft something intentionally imperfect and visually suprising. Something that feels analog and tactile draws us in.

So does this mean it’s time for clean brands to take on a rebrand?

No. Understanding design trends are useful because it gives us insight into how consumers are thinking. But that doesn’t mean brands should jump on every trend and overhaul it all. The bigger takeaway here is that brands have an opportunity to introduce more warmth, character, and humanity into their existing identity.

So how do I do that, you ask? Collaborate with a local designer or illustrator to add a bit of soul in a way that makes sense for your brand’s core essence like:

1. COMMISSION A SERIES OF HAND-DRAWN BRAND ILLUSTRATIONS
   Consider some unique ways your brand can be visualized and where you might use illustrations the most. Develop a set of on-brand illustrations that add a pop of character and make your brand more relatable.
   

2. ADD TEXTURE & ILLUSTRATION TO YOUR WEBSITE
   Yes, websites should be clean because they’re one of the most utilitarian pieces of a brand. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun by adding in some hand-drawn illustrated iconography. A good example of this? We added some sketchy illustrations to BX2 Architecture’s website to add some depth to the corporate brand.
   

3. REFRESH YOUR PACKAGING
   Packaging is the perfect application to refresh a brand without fully rebranding. With subtle changes like new materials, added textures, illustration, and new storytelling, you can still remain recognizable through keeping core brand elements like logo, color, and fonts. Take it a step further and embrace the collaboration with an illustrator by openly sharing the process on social media or sending out a press release about it.
   

4. LAUNCH A NEW MERCH LINE
   This is an especially good option as we head into holiday season preparation. Retail is a place you can get off-brand. New and interesting lines of merchandise is what keeps people buying (not a logo slapped on a t-shirt). Short runs of products that fit your brand offer the opportunity for creativity and connection with fans of the brand.

The goal isn't to look trendy. It's to feel human.

Hand-drawn branding will eventually stop being the design trend of the moment. The pendulum will swing again, because that's what trends do. But the desire underneath this trend feels more lasting. And when you apply this in an intentional way that feels true to your brand, it has a more enduring impact than a flash-in-pan trend.

Lucky for me, hand drawn human-ness is what I do best. If you’re saying “yes!” reading through this, let’s chat.

xx, Britt