How Ascend Studio Evolved Lateral’s Brand for Its Next Phase of Growth
Growth often demands more than expansion. It requires a brand capable of reflecting new ambitions, greater responsibilities, and a stronger position within its industry.
For London-based branding and digital agency Ascend Studio, this challenge came in the form of Lateral, a real estate investment and development firm focused on delivering impactful and sustainable projects, particularly within the STEM sector.
Interestingly, Ascend was not approaching the brand for the first time. Four years earlier, the agency had originally named and branded Lateral, helping establish the distinctive identity that supported its early success. Since then, the company had experienced significant growth across assets under management, project scale, team size, and capabilities.
As the business matured, its brand needed to do the same.
The goal was not to replace what made Lateral unique, but to refine and strengthen it. The new identity needed to communicate greater credibility, sophistication, and expertise while preserving the energy, dynamism, and challenger mindset that had become central to the company’s character.
To achieve this, Ascend developed a strategic framework centred around two key ideas: community and impact. The approach reflects Lateral’s collaborative model, bringing together local authorities, investors, and communities to create meaningful developments that connect innovation with real-world needs.
This thinking informed every aspect of the visual and verbal identity. The resulting design system feels bold, flexible, and highly conversational, encouraging engagement rather than simply delivering information. It positions Lateral in clear contrast to the more traditional visual language often associated with the real estate sector.
Typography, layout, and messaging work together to create a sense of movement and dialogue, reflecting a company operating within constantly evolving environments. The identity embraces change rather than resisting it, mirroring Lateral’s belief that progress comes through collaboration, adaptability, and forward thinking.
Alongside the rebrand, Ascend also redesigned the company’s website, creating a digital platform that provides greater flexibility, improved content management, and a clearer expression of the business’s evolving proposition.
The outcome is a more mature and confident brand that remains true to its origins while better representing the scale and expertise Lateral has developed over the years. It establishes a stronger point of differentiation within the market and provides a platform designed to support future growth.
The project demonstrates Ascend Studio’s ability to revisit and evolve a brand over time, ensuring it continues to reflect the reality of the business behind it. Rather than abandoning what already worked, the agency carefully built upon existing foundations, creating an identity that feels both familiar and future-focused.
