ZAK unveils the branding vision behind the 2025 Branding Awards
Interview with Zia Somjee RGD and Kristian Hay
The 2025 Branding Awards identity by the team at ZAK embraces the theme of “Show Your Perspective.” This concept focuses on how diverse viewpoints shape a brand’s identity.
The awards recognize and celebrate the best in branding and identity design from around the world. Accepting work from large and small studios, firms, in-house teams and students, the RGD Branding Awards are an opportunity for designers of all levels to showcase their work and gain industry-wide recognition.
Perspective is what sets a brand apart, shaping its unique voice and personality. It influences everything—how a brand communicates with its audience, the colours it chooses and the way it presents itself across every touchpoint. This perspective doesn’t appear out of nowhere; it’s crafted by the collective vision of those who bring the brand to life—designers, strategists, copywriters, photographers and more.
“Honestly, the hardest part was stepping back from being too strategic and creating something that would really resonate with other creatives. Our work doesn’t usually have other designers as the main audience, so this was a unique (and really fulfilling) challenge. It pushed us to think differently and trust a more instinctive, visually driven approach.”
Zia Somjee RGD and Kristian Hay
“We set out to express this idea in a dynamic way, while keeping the system simple, eye-catching and adaptable across formats. After exploring countless colour combinations, we landed on a palette stemming from the signature red of the RGD brand, evolved into jewel-toned gradients that reflect the prestige behind the craft of building a brand,” says Zia Somjee RGD and Kristian Hay.
One of the biggest challenges that the team faced was in bringing this concept to life by designing the 3D cube with R-G-D on three sides. It took a lot of sketching, testing and refining to get it just right.
“First and foremost, we just hope designers find it visually interesting. But beyond that, the idea of perspective and the collective minds that shape a brand is so central to this concept, and we really hope that resonates with them too.”
Zia Somjee RGD and Kristian Hay
Zia Somjee RGD
Co-founder, Brand Designer and Creative Strategist at ZAK Design Studio
Kristian Hay
Co-founder and Director at ZAK Design Studio
