Does every brand need 3D in its identity?

Not necessarily. 3D design best suits brands that have a genuine reason to add immersion, or a creative idea that is hard to communicate flat. Digital-first brands are the most common example of this.

Is 3D more expensive than traditional 2D branding?

Often yes, especially for animated or interactive 3D work. Any use of three-dimensional design in a brand should be deeply rooted in the core creative strategy, so the end result is distinctive enough to justify the cost.

Can 3D and flat 2D design coexist in one identity?

Yes, and they almost always should. A combination of 2D and 3D visuals ensures a brand identity is flexible enough to scale across as many platforms as possible. Many systems use 2D for everyday application and reserve 3D for specific, high-impact moments where the extra depth earns its place.

Does 3D brand work require ongoing technical maintenance?

This depends on the extent of the work. Standalone 3D assets should be designed for longevity without the need for further optimisation. A web-based AR/VR experience typically needs upkeep to ensure it runs as it should across evolving browsers or devices.

Does 3D branding need to be photorealistic to be effective?

Not at all. Stylised, illustrative, or abstract 3D can be just as effective as realistic work, and is often more distinctive, since photorealism can look similar across different brands.

Branding Handbook

Visual Identity

3D in Brand Identity

3D in brand identity is the use of three-dimensional visuals, whether rendered, animated, or physical, to give a brand depth.

What is 3D in brand identity?

3D in brand identity refers to the use of three-dimensional design to give a brand more physicality. This covers elements like rendered objects, extruded forms and animated environments, as part of a brand's overall visual identity.

If 2D visualisation is 'flat' by definition, 3D assets can add a sense of depth and perspective, allowing brands to communicate in ways that feel more immersive, from a single graphic to a full-on interactive experience.

As consumer behaviour increasingly leans towards real-time interaction, 3D design has grown from a niche consideration to a key design component, especially for brands innovating in their sector.

Where does 3D show up in brand identity?

3D logos and wordmarks

Materialising a 2D mark to make it feel grabbable, catching light and casting shadow like a real object would.

Animated brand environments

Capturing a brand's world from every angle with fully rendered 3D assets and scenes that consumers can immerse themselves in.

Product and packaging visualisation

Rendering a physical product in a photorealistic or stylised way to make it feel as tactile as possible, even across digital touchpoints.

Interactive product experiences

Telling a brand's story through intricate web and AR/VR models that users can explore directly within a digital product or site.

How 3D in brand identity works in practice: METEORIC

A new form of energy supply, METEORIC's AI-powered solution integrates with mid-size businesses to automate workflows, reduce costs and autonomously execute on demands.

To most CFOs, this level of respite sounds alien. So we positioned METEORIC as one: out-of-this-world power, finally available on Earth. The identity plots the same course, led by a distinctive 3D brand asset that has businesses bracing for serious impact.

Energy

Sustainability

B2B

Meteoric

True to the brand's interstellar name, METEORIC's fully rendered 3D meteor has hurtled through landscapes of an Energy Utopia 100 years in the future to present a kind of energy Earth's never witnessed before.

It's galaxies away from the tired, lifeless tropes that flood the energy market, leading an identity full of epic sci-fi grandeur that's designed to instil belief in a greater power.

Outcome: A bold direction in a category full of energy drains, giving the mid-market a confidence it hasn't felt in decades.

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Related work

A greater power has entered the atmosphere

METEORIC's fully rendered 3D meteor signals the arrival of out-of-this-world power, finally available on Earth.

Result: A brand with impact in every sense of the word, lightyears away from its competitors.

A world that asks: why does junk get to have all the fun?

Overgrown forests, rusty shopping trolleys and abandoned buildings make up an immersive 3D brand world that's all about plant-based anarchy.

Result: A challenger brand in a category full of 'better-for-you' branding.

3D design built to flyp the system

Led by a playful design system of rotating and flipping 3D walls, flyp's brand acts exactly like their platform does: rebuilding the property market from the ground up.

Result: £5M of investment raised following the rebrand.