We are a design agency founded by David Butler and Stefán Kjartansson, with deep expertise designing branding systems for early-stage startups to global companies. 

We connect systems thinking to the way we design to create modular branding systems. This creates consistency with flexibility, building brand equity and relevancy overtime. We’ve used this approach to help big global brands regain their relevance like Coca-Cola, late-stage startups go public like Markforged and early-stage startups launch like Early Majority.

So what? Why start another brand design agency?

We believe tomorrow will not look like yesterday.

In the past, there was a slow evolution of technology, which gave brands time to adapt. Those days are over.

Change is now happening non-sequentially with overlapping technologies, shifting generational expectations and rapidly changing market dynamics.

And, it’s happening with or without us.

We founded SoWhat to help brands evolve into a weird future without losing their authenticity.

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Our Approach

Our approach helps build equity over time with the flexibility to stay relevant into the future

David Butler

Partner/Strategy

Named Coca-Cola’s first head of design; part of a turnaround team that led to doubling the value of the company
+ Best-selling author of, Design to Grow: How Coca-Cola Learned to Combine Scale and Agility (and How You Can Too)^︎, published in over in 25 languages.
+ Recognized as a Master of Design by Fast Company and named to Forbes’ Executive Dream Team
+ Co-founded Coke’s first global venture platform

Stefán Kjartansson

Partner/Design

Over 25 years of experience helping companies transform their brands
+ Named CNN’s first Executive Creative Director; part of CNN.com founding team
+ Co-founded the digital design agency Armchair, acquired by IfThen.
+ Branded Markforged IPO strategy
+ Joined The Early Majority founding team playing a critical role in securing funding

The agency’s name is based on the track So What from the album Kind of Blue. Miles Davis composed it in 1959 as the world was entering a decade of unpresidented change.

This approach was revolutionary – it balanced the structure of standardized scales with the flexibility of improvisation. It resulted in the best selling jazz album of all time, a defining moment of twentieth century music.

It foreshadowed the modular approach we use today, balancing stability and change to create authentic and adaptable brands.