A UI-First Approach to Brand Identity Design: A Case Study of the TPIS System

This study proposes a UI-first approach as a design methodology that reconceptualizes the relationship between User Interface (UI) design and brand identity development. Whereas prior research has largely adhered to a top-down “brand-to-user” paradigm, in which brand identity is established as a dominant concept upon interface design, this study proposes an integrated, bottom-up perspective that positions the user interface as a foundational source in the development of brand identity. Drawing on the development of the TPIS system, the study emphasizes the importance of continuous and reciprocal alignment between interface design and brand identity, addressing the consistency between the system’s visual expression and its functional objectives as a central concern. Furthermore, it supports the possibility of a system in which brand identity emerges from actual user interaction, thereby enabling visual identity to align with authentic user experience.