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What Is a Branded AI Assistant?

Posted on 23 March 2026 by think moto

AI assistants are becoming a central interface between companies and customers.
This shift is changing how brands need to be designed.

For a long time, brands were primarily created for communication: websites, campaigns, and visual identities. Today, brands are increasingly beginning to interact. AI assistants answer questions, explain products, and help people make decisions. As a result, something fundamental is changing: the brand begins to speak. Once a brand communicates through AI, it is no longer just a piece of technology.
It becomes part of the brand experience.

This development marks a turning point in brand management. While digital transformation previously meant optimizing brands visually for screens, the new challenge is to design brands for conversation. This is not a gradual extension of existing design practices. It is a categorical shift: from representation to interaction, from presentation to dialogue.

The Shift in Digital Brand Management

Over the past decade, digital products have already transformed how brands operate. Websites became platforms. Products became services. Interfaces became the central place where brand experience happens.

Now, AI assistants introduce a new type of interface that differs fundamentally from previous ones: they communicate not only visually, but linguistically. With large language models, companies can develop assistants that answer complex questions, guide users through services, or support decision-making. What previously required menus, forms, or support hotlines can now happen through natural language conversations. An insurance customer, for example, no longer needs to navigate a complex form. Instead, they simply describe their situation. The assistant understands, asks follow-up questions, and explains available options.

Conversational interfaces do something that traditional digital interfaces rarely achieved: they communicate in natural language, with all the nuances that come with it — tone, attitude, and personality. This fundamentally changes the role of brands. Because as soon as an organization participates in conversations, it reveals how it thinks, argues, and explains. The brand is no longer just seen.
It is experienced — in every answer, every clarification, and every explanation.

The Blind Spots in Current AI Implementations

Many organizations currently see AI assistants mainly as technical tools to improve efficiency: automating support, reducing costs, or answering frequently asked questions. From an operational perspective, this makes sense. From a brand perspective, however, something critical is often overlooked.

An AI assistant represents the company. It explains products, responds to criticism, and helps users navigate complex decisions. In many cases, it speaks on behalf of the brand more frequently and more directly than any marketing campaign ever could. If this voice is not deliberately designed, inconsistencies quickly emerge that fragment the brand identity.

Different assistants speak differently. Responses vary depending on prompt engineering. Brand positioning becomes diluted because different teams maintain different knowledge bases. In visual brand management, consistency is standard practice: typography, color systems, and imagery are carefully defined. In conversational interfaces, this level of discipline is often missing. As a result, brands that spent years building a coherent visual identity suddenly speak with ten different voices.

Branded AI Assistants: A Conceptual Framework

This is where the concept of the Branded AI Assistant comes in. A Branded AI Assistant is more than a chatbot connected to a knowledge base. It is a deliberately designed interaction layer between an organization and its users. Several dimensions shape this layer:

Brand Voice: The assistant does not simply provide correct answers. It communicates in the characteristic tone of the brand. If a brand is precise and factual, the assistant responds with clear, structured explanations. If it is approachable and encouraging, it explains patiently, asks clarifying questions, and provides helpful context.

Conversational UX: Dialogues are systematically designed rather than left to chance. This means anticipating conversation flows, identifying common user intentions, and developing consistent response patterns.

Personality: The assistant has a defined way of reacting. How does it deal with uncertainty? How does it admit mistakes? How proactively does it guide the user? This personality is not a property of the AI model. It is a design decision.

Governance: Knowledge sources must be curated. Responses need to be reviewed regularly. Prompts should be maintained systematically. This requires clear responsibilities and processes — similar to content governance in traditional digital ecosystems.

Interaction Principles: Rules define how the assistant explains, guides, and responds. Does it answer immediately or ask clarifying questions first? How much context does it provide? How direct are its recommendations?

Only when these dimensions are consciously designed does a technical solution become a true brand interface. The difference is comparable to the one between a functional website and a carefully crafted digital brand experience.

Practical Implications for Organizations

As AI assistants become brand interfaces, responsibilities inside organizations begin to shift. Brand teams, design teams, and product teams need to collaborate more closely than before. Questions that used to be either technical or creative now become both:

How does the brand explain complex topics? How does it respond to criticism or complaints? How actively does it guide users through decisions? How does it handle uncertainty? These questions shape the brand experience just as strongly as typography, color systems, or visual language. Therefore, they increasingly belong inside brand systems, not only in technical architectures or prompt libraries.

In practical terms, companies must define their AI voice as systematically as their visual identity. They need to establish conversational design as a discipline. And they must create governance structures that ensure consistent AI interactions across touchpoints.

First Steps for Companies

Organizations that want to design AI assistants strategically can begin with several concrete steps. First, define the AI voice. This translates the brand’s tone into conversational rules. It does not mean simply copying existing brand guidelines, but clarifying how the brand sounds in direct dialogue. How much personality does it express? How formal or accessible is it?

Second, establish conversational design as its own discipline. This includes designing dialogue flows, defining typical conversation patterns, and developing interaction principles. Unlike traditional user interfaces, the focus here is not on click paths but on conversation dynamics — including the uncertainty and variability that natural language brings.

Equally important is the establishment of clear governance structures. Responsibilities for content, prompts, and knowledge sources must be defined. Processes for regular review and optimization should be implemented. Finally, AI interactions should be integrated into existing brand systems, alongside design systems, brand guidelines, and product design frameworks.

Only through this structured approach does a technical tool become a consistent part of the brand — an interface that not only works, but strengthens the brand identity instead of fragmenting it.

A New Design Challenge for Brands

For a long time, brands were primarily designed for visibility — to attract attention, create recognition, and establish visual differentiation. In the age of AI, brands are increasingly designed for interaction. This is more than a technological development. It represents a fundamental expansion of what brand management means.

Visual identity defines how a brand looks. Conversational identity defines how it thinks, argues, and communicates. It reveals how an organization understands problems, structures decisions, and deals with complexity. In this sense, Branded AI Assistants are not just a new technology interface. They are a new medium of brand management.

The challenge for organizations is not to leave this new dimension to chance, but to design it as deliberately as every other aspect of their brand. Not only defining how a brand looks — but how it speaks.

Customer Journey in the Age of AI: When Brand, Touchpoints and Technology Converge

Posted on 17 February 202625 February 2026 by think moto

Marken existieren nicht isoliert. Sie entstehen im Erlebnis des Kunden und verändern sich permanent. Die Markenpersönlichkeit sollte an jedem Kontaktpunkt erfahrbar sein und im Zusammenspiel ein stimmiges Bild ergeben. Dabei geht es weniger um starre Konsistenz als um kohärentes, dem jeweiligen Kontext angepasstes Verhalten. Und genau hier verändert künstliche Intelligenz das Spiel fundamental.

Die Customer Journey – die Reise vom ersten Markenkontakt bis zur langfristigen Kundenbindung – war schon immer komplex. Doch mit KI-gestützter Personalisierung, intelligenten Assistenten und datengetriebenen Entscheidungen in Echtzeit erreicht diese Komplexität eine neue Dimension. Marken, die heute erfolgreich sind, verstehen, dass ihre Touchpoints nicht mehr statische Kontaktpunkte sind, sondern dynamische Interaktionsmomente, die sich dem individuellen Nutzer anpassen.

Von der Analyse zur intelligenten Gestaltung

Customer Journey Optimierung beginnt mit der ehrlichen Bestandsaufnahme: Wie erleben Kunden unsere Marke tatsächlich? Wo entstehen Reibungsverluste? Welche Momente führen zu Freude, welche zu Frustration? Diese Current State Journey zu verstehen ist der erste Schritt. Der zweite ist mutiger: Wie könnte die ideale Reise aussehen? Welche Touchpoints wollen wir schaffen, die heute noch nicht existieren?

Das Ziel ist klar – Reibungsverluste eliminieren, die User Experience personalisieren, Conversion Rates steigern. Doch das Wie hat sich verändert. Früher optimierten Marken ihre Touchpoints basierend auf Durchschnittswerten und A/B-Tests. Heute ermöglichen KI-Systeme die Personalisierung für jeden einzelnen Nutzer in Echtzeit. Das ist nicht nur eine technische Evolution, sondern eine grundlegend neue Art, Marke zu denken.

Die fünf Phasen der Journey – neu gedacht

Die klassische Einteilung in Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Post-Purchase und Loyalty bleibt relevant. Aber innerhalb jeder Phase verschiebt sich der Fokus. In der Awareness-Phase geht es längst nicht mehr nur um Sichtbarkeit durch SEO und Content Marketing. Predictive Analytics können heute potenzielle Kunden identifizieren, bevor diese überhaupt aktiv suchen. KI-gestützte Content-Generierung ermöglicht skalierbare Personalisierung für verschiedene Zielgruppen, ohne dabei an Qualität zu verlieren.

In der Consideration-Phase, in der Kunden verschiedene Optionen vergleichen, spielen nicht mehr nur Produktbewertungen und Testimonials die entscheidende Rolle. Intelligente Recommendation Engines schlagen passende Lösungen vor, oft bevor der Kunde selbst weiß, wonach er sucht. Interaktive Konfiguratoren und KI-Chatbots begleiten die Evaluierung und schaffen Vertrauen durch unmittelbare, präzise Antworten.

Die Entscheidungsphase wird durch technische Exzellenz bestimmt – optimale Ladegeschwindigkeit, intuitive Navigation, klare Call-to-Actions. Doch auch hier arbeitet KI im Hintergrund: Dynamische Preisanpassungen, personalisierte Angebote und Predictive Lead Scoring erhöhen die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer Conversion, ohne dabei manipulativ zu wirken. Es geht um den richtigen Impuls im richtigen Moment.

Nach dem Kauf beginnt für viele Marken die eigentliche Arbeit. Hervorragender Service, personalisierte Kommunikation und proaktive Problemlösung liefern die Basis dafür, dass Kunden wiederkehren. KI-gestützte Support-Systeme ermöglichen 24/7-Verfügbarkeit, während Sentiment-Analyse Unzufriedenheit frühzeitig erkennt und menschliche Customer Service Agents gezielt einschaltet. Automatisierte Call-Zusammenfassungen entlasten Support-Teams und ermöglichen es ihnen, sich auf komplexe Fälle zu konzentrieren.

Die Loyalty-Phase ist die wertvollste. Hier werden Kunden zu Markenbotschaftern. Intelligente Treueprogramme, die auf individuellem Verhalten basieren, Community-Building und Predictive Retention sorgen dafür, dass diese Beziehung nicht abbricht. Denn loyale Kunden sind wertvoller als neue – Retention ist günstiger als Akquise.

Customer Journey Maps als lernende Experience-Systeme

Customer Journey Maps sind ein wirkungsvoller Ausgangspunkt für die kontinuierliche und agile Verbesserung von Kundenerlebnissen. Sie zeigen nicht nur, wo Menschen mit einer Marke interagieren, sondern auch warum, wie und mit welchen emotionalen Reaktionen. So werden Moments of Truth sichtbar – jene kritischen Situationen, in denen sich Wahrnehmung, Vertrauen und Erfolg entscheiden.

Eine professionelle Journey Map erfasst Touchpoints über den gesamten Customer Life Cycle, beschreibt User Tasks und den jeweiligen Nutzungskontext. Sie macht Brüche, Reibungen und Pain Points ebenso erkennbar wie funktionierende Interaktionen und echte Mehrwerte. Vor allem aber zeigt sie, ob die Markenpersönlichkeit entlang der gesamten Journey konsistent erlebbar wird.

Doch Journey Maps sollten nicht beim Status quo stehen bleiben. Als lernende Experience-Systeme helfen sie, Potenziale zu modellieren, Hypothesen zu testen und Interaktionen gezielt weiterzuentwickeln. Gutes Design kann Verhalten verändern – vorausgesetzt, Marken haben den Mut, neue Wege auszuprobieren. Denn Kund:innen können nur bewerten, was bereits existiert. Zukunftsorientierte Marken gestalten nicht nur bessere Journeys – sie schaffen völlig neue Erlebnisse.

KI als Katalysator, nicht als Ersatz

Künstliche Intelligenz verändert die Customer Journey fundamental. Aber nicht, indem sie Menschen ersetzt, sondern indem sie menschliche Entscheidungen augmentiert. KI-Systeme können Verhalten vorhersagen, in Echtzeit personalisieren und Support automatisieren. Doch die strategische Gestaltung der Journey, die Definition von Markenwerten und die Kreation neuer Touchpoints bleiben menschliche Disziplinen.

Intelligente Systemlösungen wie Recommendation Engines, Personalisierungstools oder Conversational AI sind Werkzeuge. Sie ermöglichen es Marken, datengetrieben und agil zu optimieren. Aber sie ersetzen nicht das strategische Denken, das hinter einer kohärenten Markenerfahrung steht.

Human-First. AI-Backed – das ist der Ansatz, der funktioniert.

Der Weg ist das Ziel

Customer Journey Optimierung ist kein Projekt mit Enddatum. Es ist ein kontinuierlicher Prozess. Marken, die systematisch Daten analysieren, auf Kundenbedürfnisse eingehen und gleichzeitig den Mut haben, neue Wege zu gehen, schaffen nachhaltige Wettbewerbsvorteile. Die Kombination aus strategischem Journey Mapping, datengetriebener KI-Optimierung und mutigem Design schafft Erlebnisse, die nicht nur konvertieren, sondern begeistern.

Eine Marke ist keine Insel. Aber die Reise entlang ihrer Kontaktpunkte sollte einzigartig sein.

Möchten Sie mehr darüber erfahren? Sprechen Sie mit uns über Ihre Herausforderungen – wir verbinden strategisches Brand Thinking mit modernster KI-Expertise.

Mehr zu unserer Expertise in Brand Intelligence

Why Conversational AI Is Now Part of Corporate Design

Posted on 27 January 202629 January 2026 by think moto

Sprachassistenten, Conversational Interfaces, Agentic AI, Customer Service Automation, In-Car Assistants, Mobile Apps, Websites, ja sogar Produkte und Geräte selbst bieten die Möglichkeit zur sprachlichen Interaktion.

Wenn diese Interfaces nicht zur Markenidentität passen, entsteht Reibung: Ein visuell hochwertiges Corporate Design trifft auf einen generischen Bot, der spricht wie jede x-beliebige KI? Das zerstört Vertrauen — und wirkt unprofessionell.

Conversational Design löst dieses Problem, indem es:

Tonalität, Wortwahl und Satzrhythmen der Marke definiert
die Persönlichkeit der Marke in eine dialogische Form bringt
die Brand Voice in Chatbot- und Voice-Umgebungen konsistent macht
Kundenerlebnisse emotional stimmiger, klarer und intuitiver gestaltet
Teil der Integrated Brand Experience wird

Kurz gesagt: Conversational Design übersetzt Corporate Identity (CI) und Corporate Design (CD) in Branded Conversations.

Von der visuellen zu einer dialogischen Corporate Identity

Eine zeitgemäße Markenidentität setzt sich heute aus drei miteinander verbundenen Ebenen zusammen: der visuellen Ebene, der sprachlich-narrativen Ebene und der dialogischen Identität. Logos, Typografie und Farbwelten definieren weiterhin das Erscheinungsbild. Purpose, Messaging und Tonalität bestimmen, wie eine Marke klingt.

Die dialogische Identität schließlich übersetzt all das in konkrete Interaktionen: Wie formuliert der digitale Assistent Antworten? Welche Haltung spricht aus kurzen, funktionalen Sätzen? Wie wird Missverständnissen begegnet? Welche wiederkehrenden Muster, Mikro-Formulierungen und Gesprächsprinzipien prägen den Kontakt?

Conversational AI schafft damit den Übergang von einer statischen Markenwelt zu einem lebendigen, interaktiven System. Es sorgt dafür, dass jede Konversation — ob im Chat, per Voice oder in hybriden Interfaces — konsistent mit der Markenpersönlichkeit bleibt. So wird die Identität nicht nur gesehen und gelesen, sondern auch erlebt.

Praxisbeispiele

Für HUGO BOSS haben wir die dialogische Ebene des Style-Assistants entwickelt: ein Assistant, der Modekompetenz, Selbstbewusstsein und die elegante Direktheit der Marke in einer klaren, markenspezifischen Tonalität abbildet.

Auch bei Audi entstand ein Conversational UX Framework, das die ruhige Präzision und technische Klarheit der Marke in die Sprache ihrer Voice- und Assistenzsysteme überträgt.

Und für ein führendes deutsches Unternehmen im Bereich Prüfung und Zertifizierung haben wir kürzlich ein komplettes Webinterface dialogisch gestaltet — jeder Interaktionsschritt beginnt dort mit einer markentypisch formulierten Konversation, statt mit klassischen UI-Bausteinen. Das Ergebnis: ein Nutzererlebnis, das intuitiver wirkt und die Marke in jeder Interaktion spürbar macht.

Wie man Conversational Design systematisch verankert

Bei think moto integrieren wir Conversational Design heute standardmäßig in Markenprozesse. Der Workflow umfasst:

1. Conversational Identity Definition

Übertragung der Markenpersönlichkeit auf die AI
Sprache, Tonalität, Satzstrukturen
Do’s & Don’ts
Response Patterns

2. Dialog-Module & UX Patterns

Intent-Strukturen
Interaktionsmodelle
Micro-Conversations
Error Handling

3. Technische Übersetzung

Prompting-Guidelines
Trainingsdaten
Knowledge Architectures
Integration in LLM-, Voice- oder Chatbot-Systeme

4. Brand AI Governance

Conversational Styleguide
Scalable Prompt Framework
Cross-Touchpoint Consistency

Fazit: Eine Marke muss heute sprechen — und zwar in ihrer eigenen Stimme

Conversational Interfaces werden in den kommenden Jahren einer der wichtigsten Berührungspunkte zwischen Marken und Menschen sein. Wer dort generisch erscheint, verliert. Wer dort markentypisch, empathisch und konsistent spricht, gewinnt Vertrauen, Nähe und Relevanz. Conversational Design ist deshalb kein technisches Thema, sondern ein Marken- und Corporate-Design-Thema.

Human First. AI-Backed.

Das gilt besonders für Marken, die in einer KI-geprägten Zukunft bestehen wollen.

Erfahre mehr über unsere Arbeit mit AI für Marken unter thinkmoto.de/KI-Branding und unter thinkmoto.de/Chatbots.

Why branding for the industrial Mittelstand is more critical than ever

Posted on 22 January 202627 January 2026 by think moto

Germany’s Mittelstand is widely seen as the backbone of the economy: highly specialized, technology-driven, and globally competitive through exports. Yet while machinery, materials, and production lines are continuously upgraded, one area often falls behind: the brand.

Many mid-sized industrial companies invest in branding, corporate design, or brand strategy only sporadically – typically when a relaunch is due or competitive pressure intensifies. In between, things often stand still. But this standstill is costly.

How the Mittelstand manages branding today—and why it’s becoming a problem

In many industrial companies, brand management still follows a traditional model: external agencies develop corporate designs, create guidelines, review campaigns, and run competitor analyses or brand audits. Internally, small marketing teams handle day-to-day execution and try to keep long-term brand development on track.

These structures have grown over time – but they come with three fundamental weaknesses:

1. Project-based, not continuous.
A corporate design gets updated – yet no routine follows to maintain it consistently over years.

2. High costs, limited scalability.
Every analysis, every adjustment, every approval requires new external budgets, time, and coordination.

3. Insufficient use of strategic brand work.
Because agency services feel costly, leadership often decides against them – and accepts the gradual erosion of the brand.

The result is visible across many industrial sectors: inconsistently designed channels, divergent layouts, fragmented brand messages, and products that feel more interchangeable than they actually are.

Interchangeability is the biggest risk for the industrial mittelstand

The frequently cited McKinsey analysis “Late vs. Made in Germany” highlights the following conclusion:a lack of brand leadership leads to commoditization. When products and services are technically world-class but not clearly differentiated visually, verbally, or strategically, Mittelstand companies compete almost exclusively on price and functionality.

This is strategically risky, because commoditization leads to:

increasing price sensitivity
declining customer loyalty
higher marketing and sales costs

And yet Mittelstand industrial companies would be perfectly positioned to build strong brands in line with our concept of Spherical Branding: Deep expertise, technological excellence, quality, mindset, and values form an ideal foundation for credible differentiation.

The real cost: high effort vs. high loss

Direct costs:

Recurring agency fees for layout checks, design adaptations, and brand reviews
Unclear processes that lead to long approval cycles
Small marketing teams drowning in operational workload

Indirect costs (often bigger):

Blurry brand presence across different marketsoutdated messages that no longer fit the company’s strategy
Inconsistent presentations, websites, and product communication
Long-term brand weakening and declining perceived quality
Increasing need for expensive relaunches

Why branding is more important for industrial companies than ever before

Digital transformation, new competitors from Asia, skilled labor shortages, and global pricing pressure are changing the rules.

Brands that are clear, consistent, and differentiated benefit in several ways:

Stronger competitive positioning
Higher visibility across digital channels
Clearer value propositions
Greater employer branding
Stronger pricing power
Closer customer relationships – including AI-based touchpoints

In a world where data, interfaces, and machines increasingly shape interactions, the brand must remain recognizable as the human layer: empathetic, credible, and distinct.

Rethinking brand management: Human First. AI-Backed.

Modern brand leadership in the industrial Mittelstand requires two things:

1. Strategic clarity and identity.
a brand must know who it is – what it promises, how it speaks, and what it looks like.

2. Support from intelligent systems.
The future of branding is hybrid: human creativity + AI-powered tools that make processes more efficient, reveal data patterns, accelerate workflows, and secure brand consistency.

This makes branding not only more emotional, but also more precise, scalable, and economically viable for mid-sized companies.

Conclusion: the mittelstand doesn’t need more branding – it needs better branding

Branding is not a nice-to-have. It’s a strategic value driver that determines whether companies remain visible, relevant, and differentiated in the future.

The good news: it has never been easier to build a lean, data-driven, and future-ready brand system than it is today – Human First. AI-Backed.

And this is exactly where a major opportunity begins for the industrial Mittelstand.

Human First. AI-backed.

Posted on 5 January 2026 by think moto

Why Brands Are Becoming Human Again. The last few years belonged to technology. The years ahead belong to people — precisely because technology has become so powerful.

With Human First. AI-backed., we articulate our stance for a future in which AI does not replace humans, but amplifies them. It does not dominate — it empowers.

Human First stands for responsibility. And for radical creativity.

Brands must reconnect with emotion, learn to listen again, and create real meaning.
It’s about empathy, user-centered thinking, and the courage to make clear decisions. Intuition. Imagination. Judgment. These remain fundamentally human.

AI-backed means we design differently — and we advise differently.

We have rethought every step of our workflow: research, strategy, naming, brand voice, design, prototyping. AI changes speed and quality. We have rethought every step of our workflow: research, strategy, naming, brand voice, design, and prototyping. AI changes speed — and it changes quality.

Brands today are built within integrated, intelligent design systems. Strategies become sharper. Brand experiences more adaptive. Agentic AI solutions open up entirely new dimensions of brand leadership.

One thing is becoming unmistakably clear: it’s not the size of a team that matters, but the seniority of the minds behind it. AI amplifies what already exists. It does not replace responsibility.

That’s why we invest in experience, depth, and creative excellence — supported by purpose-built intelligent systems. This is how brands become not just more consistent, but more alive. The future of brand leadership is not about choosing between human creativity and technology. It lies in their interplay.

Human First. AI-backed.

My OMR takeaway: “Do you speak Animal?”

Posted on 15 May 202520 May 2025 by think moto

Many people are currently asking me what impressions I took away from #OMR. Of course, one highlight was the wonderful visit with our partners at Frontify (many thanks again to Anneke Matsis in that context).

And elsewhere on the exhibition grounds? It was crowded, it was loud, and somehow the sword of Damocles—Gen AI—seemed to be hanging over everyone’s heads. Especially in online marketing, the changes over the next 12 months will likely be radical.

This year again, Philipp Klöckner delivered a true tour de force with his format “Beyond the AI hype,” driving the packed audience breathlessly through his roughly 170 (yes, really!) slides. Very well-founded. Very detailed. With glimmers of hope—such as the outlook that open source will eventually prevail even in the field of AI. But also with the already familiar shockers for the industry (farewell asset production, farewell code production, bye bye to the production of pretty much everything that has been and still is value-creating).

In the end, Philipp had to pay tribute to his tightly packed schedule—time was running out, Steven Gätjen stepped from the wings into the spotlight—only 2 minutes left for 20 slides. But those were packed with substance! Curtain up for the “Science” section:

“By 2030, the number of vegetarians will double. Worldwide.”

Thanks to AI, we are already capable (see also: documentary “Talking Pigs”) of decoding the “language” of animals. In the future, this may raise a fundamental question: Do we really want to continue with the industrial processing of living beings that we can understand linguistically—beings who, through that understanding, gain a personality?

I discussed this question with a friend last week. She’s active in the animal rights movement and was rather pessimistic about the above idea: “People already turn a blind eye to the horrors in factory farms. And no one gets in there anyway. The video of a pig begging for help and going viral—it’s not going to happen.”

But what if it does happen? What if it becomes a task for all the marketing experts at #OMR to craft exactly this kind of campaign—and to spread the question far and wide:

“Do you speak Animal?”

Meet the motos–Jasmin Cziborra

Posted on 6 December 20237 December 2023 by think moto

In our “Meet the Motos” series, we introduce you to the brilliant minds behind the think moto team. Today we talked to Jasmin Cziborra. She is a user experience designer and speaks about her work at think moto.

👋 Hi Jasmin! It’s wonderful to have you with us. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hello! I am Jasmin, 25-year-old UX designer here at think moto. I started as an intern and working student at think moto and have now been permanently employed for about 2 years. I was born and raised in Saarland. For my studies, I moved to Schwäbisch Gmünd near Stuttgart, where I studied interaction design at the Hochschule für Gestaltung (University of Design). During my internship, I fell in love with Berlin and decided to move here.

Your path to think moto began with an internship. How did you discover the agency and what inspired you to join our team?

That was in the fourth semester of my studies. At that time, I was studying interaction design in Schwäbisch Gmünd and was looking for an internship. During this search, a friend recommended the book Branded Interactions to me. I quickly realized that the authors were running an agency. On the think moto website, I then saw that they were looking for UX/UI interns and I applied immediately. The rest is history.

As a UX designer, what kinds of projects do you typically work on?

Actually, I am working here at think moto in a hybrid role. I am a UX designer, but I operate at the intersection between strategy and visual design. I take the concepts from strategy and translate them into concrete concepts for websites or chatbots. My outputs are usually wireframes and descriptions for interaction behavior, which I then pass on to the visual design team. I have also been involved in conversational design projects for the design of chatbots. Overall, I enjoy moving between strategy and concept, understanding the essence of a brand, and then translating that into a concept.

You mentioned that the team is an essential part for you. How would you describe the think moto team dynamic?

A harmonious team culture is just as important to me as the projects and was crucial for my decision to work at think moto. We support each other, appreciate feedback from others, and deal openly with criticism. It’s nice that we can interact so openly, have a beer together after work or play games. We also regularly hold smaller team events, which I personally really enjoy.

What makes think moto stand out for you, besides the good atmosphere?

For me, what distinguishes think moto, in addition to the pleasant atmosphere, is primarily the diversity of projects. We collaborate with a wide range of industries, starting from small companies to very large ones. Our projects are diverse, and we always tailor our process to the clients and their needs. I also like that think moto places great emphasis on sustainability. Everything we develop follows the principle of being smart, simple, and sustainable.

Outside of work, do you also spend your free time with creative activities?

Absolutely! I like to explore the world through my lens. I enjoy photography and often film in my everyday life. I always carry a small camera with me that can record 4K videos. At the end of the year, I then edit a small annual review. I also like sharing these videos with friends and family.

Thanks for sharing your journey with us, Jasmin. It’s been a pleasure learning about you and your work at think moto.

Die Design- und Techtrends zum Verlieben

Posted on 13 October 202322 January 2026 by think moto

Es ist wieder einmal an der Zeit in die Glaskugel zu schauen und eine kleine Zeitreise in das kommende Jahr zu unternehmen. Mit dem Wechsel in das Neue – sowieso vielversprechendere – Jahr wird gewöhnlich viel evaluiert, (selbst)reflektiert, geschrieben und noch mehr vorgenommen. Im Internet wimmelt es wieder nur von den fragenden oder weissagenden Posts und Berichten: “Was kommt 2016 so auf uns zu?” In unserer Branche haben jedenfalls folgende drei Trends meine Aufmerksamkeit gewonnen.

Unser langjähriger Kunde relayr startet erneut eine digitale Offensive und wir dürften wieder behilflich sein. Mehr bald auf diesem Kanal!

Außerhalb des Monitors

Der technische Fortschritt kennt keinen Schlaf. Und so zählen inzwischen Wearables die entgangen Schritte und unseren Puls, die Sonntags-Joggingroute wird bis zum Knochenmark analysiert. Intelligente Kühlschränke kaufen ein, der Filmanbieter weißt besser als wir selbst, welche Filme zu uns passen und die treuen Smartphones informieren uns in welcher Bar nicht gerade nur 19-jährige tanzen. Ich frage mich, ob man morgen auf seinen Lieblingsjoghurt verzichten werden muss, weil der Fitness-App-Meilenstein nicht erreicht wurde?

All diese Technologie sammelt jedenfalls riesengroße Mengen an Daten, die jetzt noch intensiver in die Dienstleistungs- und Designstrategien einfließen werden. Die beidseitige Beziehung zwischen Nutzer und Unternehmen wird gestärkt werden. Viele lebens- und gesundheitsoptimierende Dienstleistungen, digitale persönliche Assistenten, oder lernfähige Algorithmen (Amazon, IBM’s Watson Developer Cloud), werden noch schlauer. Dabei wird die verbale Interaktion (Siri, Cortana, Google Now, Facebook M) dominanter in unseren Alltag. In diesem Jahr werden Erfahrungen und entry points außerhalb des Bildschirms an Gewicht gewinnen. Und noch mehr personalisierte Dienstleistungen und kontextbasierte Angebote werden uns erwarten!

Unsere neue working-culture mit stand-ups, warm-ups, meetups und digitalen Austauschkanälen ermöglicht uns flexibel zu agieren und lustig zu bleiben!

Arbeitnehmer – die neuen Helden von morgen

Die Generationskluft und die wachsende Ungleichheit unter den Arbeitnehmern, der VW- und der FIFA-Skandal oder das immer ethischer werdende Konsumverhalten. Das sind nur einige Dinge, die uns den vergangenen Jahren beschäftigten und es auch weiterhin tun werden. Im Vordergrund stehen nun Employee Experience und Employee Empathy. Viele kleine und große Unternehmen beginnen, das interne Branding und die Wahrnehmung der Unternehmenskultur in der Öffentlichkeit besonders behutsam zu pflegen. Dabei entstehen viele Fragen: Welche Auswirkungen sind in der Talente-Landschaft der nächsten Jahre zu erwarten? Wie sind eigentlich die Erwartungen der verschiedenen Generationen in einem Unternehmen zu meistern? Als Folge kann man erwarten, dass auf vertraute Abläufe besser geachtet wird. Überhaupt wird die interne Kultur eine zunehmend wichtigere Rolle spielen, sich dadurch aber auch deutlich verbessern. Von digitalen Intra-Kommunikationslösungen, über datenbasierte Personalmarketing-Strategien bis hin zum Trend der letzten Jahre, wo Mitarbeiter selbst zu Marken-Botschafter werden. Digitales Storytelling könnte dabei eine effektive Technik sein, um Austausch und Bindung besser zusammenzubringen.

Wir unterstützen unseren Kunden Haufe im Ausbau der internen Design-Leistungen seit mehreren Jahren.

Design hat eine neue Heimat

In erfolgreichen Unternehmen genießt Design heute einen hohen Stellenwert. Digital-Design und Design-Thinking sind eingezogen und einbezogen. Große Organisationen haben verstanden, wie ihnen Design ermöglicht, hochwertigere Produkte zu anzubieten, Wettbewerbsvorteile zu sichern und sich zu differenzieren. Konzerne haben in den vergangenen Jahren eine Menge in Design investiert. Und das ist gut so. Durchdesignte digitale Produkte, durchdachte Inkubatoren, Design-Labs und UX Offices sind das neue Omen. In 2016 werden auch mittelständische Unternehmen diese tiefgreifende Transformation ins Digitale wahrnehmen und von ihr profitieren. Design geführte Prozesse durchbrechen Silos und schaffen aus einzelnen Produkten Plattformen. Sie gestalten schlaue, zukunftsweisende Ökosysteme. Unterstützt auch die oberste Etage im Unternehmen das digitale Denken, kann Innovation bewusst vorangetrieben werden.

Mehr Details zu den wichtigsten Design- und Tech-Trends 2016 findet Ihr hier: Gartner, Page, Trend Watching, Fjord, Frog, Landor, Smart Insights, t3n, InVision

Our CCO Katja Wenger on why you should attend design conferences

Posted on 30 May 20232 November 2023 by think moto

In early May we spoke with Katja Wenger about her experience at this year’s OFFF conference which took place from March 23-25 in Barcelonas Disseny Hub. We learned how she came to attend the event relatively spontaneously and what topics and speakers inspired her the most. We also talked about the importance of courage in design, the agency’s interest in showing presence at conferences, and what she thinks makes a successful conference. Join us as we gain insights and perspectives from this exciting conversation.

Hi Katja, you attended the OFFF conference in March in Barcelona… How did you come to participate?

I had participated the OFFF several times in the past, but with the pandemic everything came to a halt. In 2022 we went to the Forward Festival in Berlin in September and to the Paradigms Brand Experience Summit in Barcelona. For the latter, we were invited by our partner Frontify, who organized the conference for the first time. It was a great experience itself.

Can you tell us about interesting topics and speakers at the OFFF?

OFFF offers a wide range of international speakers who are incredibly fascinating. There are big names like David Carson, who inspired me very early in my career, as well as smaller or lesser-known talents like the illustrator and artist Kelly Anna.

It provides lots of input from various design disciplines, including motion design, 3D, interaction design, animation, and illustration. That’s what makes OFFF and conferences like the Forward Festival so appealing — you get to see different things that inspire you to explore new paths and be creatively productive again.

However, what stuck with me the most was the importance of being courageous in design.

What inspired or intrigued you the most at the conference?

Ultimately, the past six months have witnessed the birth of a new generation of AI, especially in conjunction with visual design. At the conference, we saw the cool possibilities that AI offers for visual designers. However, what stuck with me the most was the importance of being courageous in design. Being courageous means breaking out of the traditional ideals of beauty and daring to do new things. The concept of beauty, as I learned and saw it many years ago, is evolving into something different. For example, there was a presentation by It’s Nice That, a website or blog that showcased design trends at OFFF.

Some examples made me cringe because they looked terrible. It seems there’s a trend towards such “trashy” aesthetics. Of course, we can’t always be so daring when working with established brands. But it’s important to break new ground and encourage clients to incorporate some zeitgeist into their brand. Ideally, we have created a brand design framework that makes this possible. As an agency, we are perceived as trendsetters and are asked to provide insights into where the industry is heading.

Photo of futuristic, purple-lit ceiling at the OFFF stage.

Photo of a colorful graphic over the shoulders of a crowd at a presentation

So, it’s important for the agency to have a presence at such conferences?

It’s not only in my personal interest to attend these conferences. It’s also important for all the designers and also creative technologists who work at think moto. We give them the opportunity to participate in conferences as well. That’s very important for me. It’s not productive if only I, as the CCO, attend. We can’t effectively share the knowledge we’ve gained, and everyone has their own interests and feelings about different presentations. Everyone takes away something valuable.

I recommend everyone to take part in conferences because they move you forward and allow you to step out of your own bubble and be inspired. There is something very special about listening to a lecture, reading between the lines and hearing the personal stories of the speakers. It’s especially inspiring for young designers, because they learn about a designer’s career, the effort they put into their work, and how chance led them to where they are now.

As an agency, we also actively participate in conferences ourselves. Sometimes it’s about a specific topic. With Branded Interactions, for example, we have been approached several times and have given several presentations at conferences. We’ve been to the CXI, the largest brand conference in Germany, twice so far, once together with a startup client and once with Volkswagen on the topic of Extended Realities.

Most recently, we presented our Spherical Brand approach at a CX conference in Oslo, a new concept for brand management in the post-growth economy.

I believe it is an opportunity for us to reach out and attract talented people. Being able to showcase our work and agency at these conferences provides an excellent chance to get visibility within the design community

Photo of sun setting over a brutalist architecture with people watching a open-air presentation.

Photo of brutalist architecture and a crowd loosely mingling in front.

What, in your opinion, makes a good conference or contributes to its success?

Of course, the speakers are key, but it’s not just that. The choice of location is also important. Sure, OFFF in Barcelona is super cool and huge, but last year I had the chance to attend Paradigms, which was the very first conference organized by Frontify. That conference impressed me the most. It’s hard to put into words. It was an amazing conference, especially considering the location, organization, food, evening events, and the international speakers they managed to bring together for such a small conference. It was just mind-blowing! If anyone ever gets the chance to attend, it’s absolutely fantastic! It focused on corporate design, brand management, and brand leadership. Frontify, being a company in that space, had the right tools for it.

Thank you Katja!

Meet the motos–Jordi Garreta

Posted on 28 February 20232 November 2023 by think moto

Introducing our “Meet the Motos” series, where we showcase the brilliant minds behind the think moto team. Join us as we take a deep dive into the daily work routine, various departments, exciting projects, and even take a sneak peek into the future. In today’s feature, we’re thrilled to introduce Jordi Garreta and explore the fascinating world of creative coding.

👋 Hi Jordi, good to have you here. Can you please introduce yourself?

Hi, my name is Jordi, I’m from Barcelona and I am a creative developer. I have lived in Berlin for almost three years and have worked at think moto for the same amount of time.

How did you become a creative coder?

I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Image and Sound Engineering in Barcelona, and then I moved to Milan to pursue a master’s degree in Interaction Design. I wanted to apply what I had learned in a more artistic environment and became a creative developer by combining my bachelor’s and master’s education.

What kind of companies have you worked for in the past?

After my master’s degree, I started my career working in a fablab in Milan where I worked on creative projects using machines for 3D printing and Arduino. I later moved back to Barcelona and worked for various startups, mainly focusing on data or interactive installations. I then moved to Berlin.

Sounds good. — How did you find your way to think moto?

Berlin has always been on my mind, and my brother lived here for several years which gave me the opportunity to visit often. It’s also a city with a lot of growth in the creative development field. After my partner found a job here and me being stuck at home during the Covid pandemic, I thought it was time for a change and started looking for job opportunities. That’s how I found my position at think moto.

Can you describe a typical day at think moto?

So usually we start with dailies, which are meetings with your project team. On Mondays, we have a general meeting with the entire team of think moto and twice a week, we have one with the developer team.

Currently, we also have two project-specific meetings to track progress. After the meetings, I usually start coding and working on projects. If I or another developer have questions, we have quick meetings to find solutions.

What kind of tools do you use the most?

It depends on the project, but as a creative developer, it’s important to be multidisciplinary and use as many software as possible. For websites, we use ReactJS, threeJS and for VR or AR projects, we use Unity.

What part of your work do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy working multidisciplinary and having every project bring new problems to solve, as it keeps me from falling into a routine. Occasionally it feels like a puzzle of solving things of the internet. I also like learning about new technologies, their pros and cons, and applying them to projects.

Sometimes creative coding feels like a puzzle of solving things of the internet.
Jordi Gareta

Can you tell us about a project you worked on that you particularly enjoyed?

I particularly enjoyed working on a VR experience where we connected chatbots using Cognigy.AI, which is the tool we use for creating chatbots. We created a virtual environment where a machine stands in front of you and the chatbot tells you how it works. We used hand tracking with the Oculus Quest 2, as well as text-to-speech and speech-to-text to communicate with the chatbot. The project involved applying several complex new technologies, and the end result was very nice.

Sounds cool. How do you stay focused and productive at work, especially since you work from home sometimes?

I feel comfortable working from home or from the office. For me, one way to stay focused is to listen to music. Of course, it depends on what I need to do. If I need to do some coding, then listening to music or a podcast, but if I need to concentrate on thinking, sometimes noise-cancelling headphones work best.

What role do you believe creative coding will play in shaping the future of technology and UX design?

I think that as a creative technologist, it’s important to not just apply technology, but also understand what it means. For example, when applying face recognition technology to a project, there are ethical issues that must be considered, such as obtaining consent from the person being recognized and the use of data. I believe that creative coding will play a crucial role in shaping the future of technology and design by considering these ethical issues when choosing which technologies to apply.

Interesting. What do you think sets think moto apart from others in the industry?

I think that think moto has a strong focus on design quality. We put a lot of effort into creating well-designed results. Additionally, we work on a variety of projects, including websites and VR projects, rather than just focusing on one type of project.

What do you do outside of work to maintain a good work-life balance?

I really enjoy sports like basketball and riding my bike. I also enjoy spending time with friends, drinking, exploring new places, discovering new music and going to concerts. Currently, I’m also going to comedy shows a lot – of course in English because I don’t speak German. And also as a creative coder, I like to keep things growing. That is why I sometimes do coding in my free time.

Alright, and do you have any tips for what to do in Berlin?

In winter? I would say go to bars, spend time with friends, drink and enjoy the nightlife in Berlin. Another great plan would be to play board games together. Berlin can be quite lonely in the winter, so try to be as close to your friends as possible.

Muchas gracias, Jordi!

You can learn more about Jordi on his website.