06 February, 2025

Trend Watch 2025: Sustainability, minimalism and customer journeys set the scene for the year ahead

- Sustainability is now the standard – Discover how global brands are embedding environmental responsibility into every stage of signage design and delivery.

- Smarter lighting, lower impact – See how cutting-edge LED/OLED solutions are reducing emissions while enhancing brand visibility.

- Minimalism goes global – Learn why timeless, stripped-back design is resonating with international audiences and digital platforms.

- Wayfinding meets inclusivity – Explore how accessibility and customer journeys are reshaping the way corporate signage guides and connects.

- Tech, storytelling and connection – Understand how evolving consumer expectations and digital tools are redefining global brand activation.

Now that we’ve finally got to the end of January, it’s time to put our heads above the parapets and take a closer look at the rest of the year ahead.

As a global business working across an array of market sectors where our clients’ brands are visually deployed across a vast range of settings and cultures, there can be no doubt that ‘global brand activation' is fundamental to both established and emerging brands.

As we explored in our Engineered by design blog last year, a well-designed brand identity and corporate identity signage system is a fundamental investment for any business.

This remains as true as ever but we predict some important new trends will start to change all our thinking around the direction of corporate identity signage and brand identity in 2025, and the years ahead.

1. Sustainability at every level

Sustainability isn’t a trend; it’s the new standard. Brands are holding themselves—and each other—accountable for reducing emissions, achieving net zero goals, and embracing transparent supply chains. This means every element of a sign’s lifecycle, from design to materials to repurposing, must meet higher environmental standards.

Accountability metrics such as Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, Net Zero and the Carbon Disclosure Project are now intrinsically part of our wider business reporting systems, and we’re far from alone on this.

We’re proud to have led the way on sustainable best practice on a number of recent projects, including a major rollout for UK banking brand NatWest and a new value engineering exercise for UK car dealership Motorparks as part of its “drive to net zero” initiative.

Sustainable best practice implemented for NatWest signage programme.

2. Brighter signs, lower energy use

LED and OLED technology is transforming illuminated signage, offering vibrant visuals while reducing energy consumption.

Today’s illuminated signs aren’t just for nighttime—they run 24/7, especially in retail and hospitality settings where customer engagement is part of the wider brand experience. Advanced lighting options create engaging displays while minimising energy usage and Scope 3 emissions.

Take a look at how we resolved an important illumination problem for Johnson Controls as part of an ambitious 460+ site roll out - a great example of how we can bring technical expertise and engineering knowhow to effective, smarter corporate identity signage illumination.

3. Minimalist, timeless design

For many, the move towards minimalist, pared down brand identities has made the brand scenery landscape all the more less interesting than it once was.

If we look back through our archives (over two centuries) some of the Victorian brands we worked with reflected the ornamental aesthetic of their age.

Today, very few brands seem to want the complexities that go with excessive use of colours or elaborate fonts which can sometimes lose their appeal when they’re deployed as avatars on social media platforms, and other digital assets. There is also the issue of accessibility, which we explore in more detail in the next section - plus the importance of designing brand identities that resonate with audiences across continents and cultures.

Global brands that we work for such as UPS, NTT and BT Group are great examples of the “less is more” mantra, where simple typography and pared down graphics do more, by being less.

Less is more - simple typography and pared down graphics

4. Wayfinding meets accessibility

Wayfinding starts long before customers reach the front door. Effective signage guides visitors from car parks to reception areas and beyond, shaping their journey and experience.

Accessibility is now a critical focus. Brands are investing in features like braille signage and legible design to comply with accessibility laws and meet customer needs.

Our recent investment in braille printing technology is a significant recognition on our part that this is now a major issue for our clients. Indeed, the Disability Act 1999 has specific clauses which place a distinct onus on the owners of buildings to take all reasonable steps to make them as accessible as possible.

A recent contract with Barclays is an example of a client giving high priority to the access needs of visually impaired people.

Watch out for QR codes and geolocation tools to help brands create smarter navigation systems for large campuses and corporate sites.

Final thoughts - sustainability, technology and a more sophisticated relationship with the people who experience our brands.

In summary, 2025 and the second half of this decade look set to see technology play a significant role in changing the way we arrive at global brand activation projects. Corporate identity signage are becoming visually more dynamic and, in being so, are playing an increasingly more important role in terms of connection and engagement.

We should also never forget that, as consumers, employees and suppliers, our understanding of corporate identity signage is now so much more sophisticated. We engage with them in a far more brand literate way than generations before.

So, as designers, engineers and brand activators, we need to be mindful of this too. Plus, we will all forget at our peril, the increasing significance of sustainability as a driver for both corporate and consumer behaviour. And this, we believe, is what will shape our business and the industry to come this year and for many years to follow.

Wherever you are with your brand, talk to the experts at Pearce.

Call Paul or Martin today on 0115 940 9620 or email hello@pearcesigns.com to start a conversation.