When a new brand comes out, we see only its surface. We do not see the long nights, the hard choices, or the quiet fights behind it. Many people worked to shape this thing. It took more effort than you’d think. It’s a wonder that any bold idea ever reaches the light of day.

Still, everyone is free to judge the final look. I have done it myself. We all have. But there’s danger in our quick and angry chorus. If we attack without care, we chase good ideas back into the dark. Clients grow timid. Designers play it safe. The work grows dull and flat.

In the end, if the brand stands on solid ground—if it was born of true thought and honest purpose—the team should stand by it with pride. The worst thing is to see them give up when the first stones are thrown. We must remember that nothing fine is born without courage. We must leave room for it to grow.

Thoughts on rebrand backlash, in response to Abbey Bamford’s prompt for her piece in Creative Boom: Discourse or 'Diss-course'?: cancelling criticism culture