Approach & process
Creating a visual language that’s bold, expressive, and unmistakably Zalando.
Role and scope
At Zalando, we set out to create a brand that people not only recognize, but connect with. We wanted to move beyond visual consistency and start building something emotionally resonant. Something unmistakably ours.
That meant rethinking how our digital products looked and felt.
As Design Lead, I was responsible for guiding this transformation, from early explorations to rollout. I worked with a multidisciplinary team to define a new visual identity that could scale across product and brand, while giving teams the tools and confidence to use it.
Our goal was to create a distinct, flexible, and enduring design system that reflected Zalando’s inclusive, bold, and playful personality, all while supporting a growing product ecosystem and diverse customer base.
This comprehensive project involved everything from defining the problem with stakeholders to concept ideation, visual system design, and product application. My responsibilities included strategic direction, team leadership, and collaboration with brand, product, engineering, and executive partners.
The challenge
For years, Zalando’s design system had helped keep things aligned. But while our interfaces were tidy, they didn’t stand out. Customers told us our site felt similar to others. Emotionally, the experience felt muted. We needed a system that offered more than structure – we needed character.
So we asked: How do we bring our inclusive, bold, and playful personality into the product, without sacrificing clarity, usability, or scale?
We needed a solution that would:
- Create a recognizable and memorable visual identity
- Scale across apps, campaigns, and formats
- Balance brand expression with product functionality
- Empower teams across the org to apply it with clarity and confidence
Rapid Concept Ideation
We kicked off with an unconventional ideation process: daily low-fidelity sketching sessions using templates that spanned tote bags, billboards, and Instagram stories. This prompted the team to think holistically across formats and escape conventional screen-first solutions.
We produced hundreds of ideas. Then we clustered, refined, and shared them with stakeholders across design, brand, and product.
Out of that emerged The Label; a concept inspired by the visual clarity of clothing care labels. It gave us a metaphor that was both functional and expressive. Something we could build on.
Making it real
Once we had our direction, we moved into refinement. I brought together designers with backgrounds in branding, advertising, systems, and apps. Together, we evolved The Label into a full design language. We defined:
- Typography and layout principles
- Color usage and contrast
- Iconography and motion
- System behavior across platforms
Importantly, we shifted from abstract ideas to real content and UI, grounding our design in actual product needs.
Beyond the visuals
A big part of this work was enabling others. I ran working sessions, shared early prototypes, and built alignment with engineers, content designers, and product managers.
We partnered with feature teams by pairing a design systems designer with an embedded designer. This collaboration ensured that the new visual language was consistently applied across the product, maintaining cohesion and staying true to the original concept while accommodating the unique complexities of each product feature.
We didn’t just hand over a system, we built shared ownership. That’s what made the rollout stick.
What we achieved
- A new, expressive design system used across Zalando’s digital platforms
- Stronger brand differentiation in a crowded market
- A visual language that reflects who we are and who we want to be
- A foundation for creative experimentation across teams
What I took with me
Leading this project reminded me that the best systems do more than align – they inspire. As a leader, I focused on shaping a process that invited collaboration, scaled knowledge, and pushed for expressive design rooted in clarity. Design systems can be pragmatic and poetic at once, if we let them.
And if we invite people in early and often, they don’t just use the system. They make it theirs.
The Label continues to influence how Zalando shows up across its platforms, and has formed the basis for newer themes such as Zalando Designer and Zalando Lounge.
