Ye Wang, Zhenyan Wang, Shifan Wang
Corporation differs from enterprise, as a complex system capable of sustained market exchanges, its identity construction has long adhered to a designer-centric paradigm—conveying predefined concepts through symbolic narratives in a one-way direction. However, this system’s design practice has encountered the dilemma of fragmented visual elements, revealing an inherent contradiction between the organisational system and the integrity of its identity. The systematic construction of organisational identity should be rooted in an experiential ecosystem of continuous interaction, where visual symbols function not only as media that trigger experience but also as carriers of emotional identification. Corporate Identity Design should once again be reconceptualised as a system design involving multiple participants, encompassing a complete experiential process. We aim to establish a dialogic generative design theoretical framework by deconstructing the dynamic coupling mechanisms between symbolic representations, products/services, user experience, and organisational strategy. This framework integrates diverse information streams, such as historical brand genes, user perception data, and organisational values, to enable the continuous evolution of identity elements within an open context. Cross-case studies from both commercial and non-commercial settings indicate that adopting generative design methods effectively incorporates the diversity of individual perceptions, strengthening emotional identification through co-creation mechanisms, and ultimately achieving a paradigm shift from a static identity framework to a dynamic communicative system. We believe that investigating the interaction and collaboration between symbolic representations, products/commodities, user experience, and internal organisational services is a necessary pathway to explore the integrity of identity design and the impact of visual design on organisational strategy and service.
Keywords: Corporate Identity Design, Experience, System, Participatory Design, Generative Design