Branding Agency Switzerland

 

Scholtysik Zurich

Work That Built a Swiss Branding Powerhouse

Scholtysik & Partner AG is an independent Zurich branding agency founded in the 1990s and known for rigorous, system-driven identities. Long before 2020, the studio shaped some of Switzerland’s most visible brands across finance, public institutions, tech, and culture. Below is a curated look at only their work and wins up to and including 2019.

Bank Cler: From Bank Coop to a Clear Challenger (2017–2019)

When Bank Coop relaunched as Bank Cler in 2017, Scholtysik delivered the naming, strategy, tone of voice, and identity — a clean, digital-first system that deliberately broke category clichés. The rebrand earned a string of top awards in 2018–2019, including Corporate Design Preis 2018, German Brand Award 2018, DDC Silver 2018, and iF Design Award 2019. The agency also created Zak, Switzerland’s first pure smartphone bank (2018), covering name, interface design, and language system. Scholtysik+4Scholtysik+4Scholtysik+4

UPK Basel: Humanizing a University Clinic Brand (2018)

For the University Psychiatric Clinics of Basel (UPK Basel), Scholtysik led a multi-year mandate beginning in 2017 and launched a refreshed brand in 2018. The work balanced scientific authority with low-threshold accessibility, anchored by hand-drawn illustration and patient-centric communications. (Subsequent awards arrived later, but the brand launch itself was pre-2020.) Scholtysik+1

SwissID: A National Digital Identity Needs a Swiss Look (2018)

Scholtysik crafted the brand design for SwissID, Switzerland’s digital identity initiative backed by major public companies, banks, and insurers. The visuals use a Swiss-cross pixel motif, bold red/white palette, and accessible UI considerations — explicitly positioned for mobile and screen legibility from day one. Scholtysik

Swissgrid: Strategy, Identity, and Communication for Critical Infrastructure (2018)

As owner of the national high-voltage grid, Swissgrid engaged Scholtysik to sharpen brand identity, embed strategy, and integrate a cohesive appearance across channels — work communicated in April 2018 as “Swissgrid opens a new chapter.” Scholtysik

Berner Generationenhaus: “Stage & Frame” System (2019)

Repositioned as a competence center for intergenerational topics in Bern, Berner Generationenhaus received a flexible identity built on a “frame and stage” concept — enabling expressive event visuals while preserving recognition. The launch news was published Feb 26, 2019; later, the project was singled out with distinction at the Corporate Design Preis. Scholtysik+1

Swiss Digital Day & “tell”: Nation-Wide Event Branding (2019)

For Swiss Digital Day (digitalswitzerland), Scholtysik refreshed the event’s appearance in 2019 and created the “tell” national world-café series name, logo, and design — centered on a contemporary “Digital Peak” symbol and a clear typographic system. Scholtysik

maxon: Global Repositioning (2019)

In 2019, the precision-drive leader maxon (formerly “maxon motor”) simplified its brand name to maxon and began a global repositioning. Scholtysik’s case outlines the strategic rationale and scope of the brand transformation that year. Scholtysik

Keen Innovation Lab (BKB): Naming & Identity (2019)

Keen Innovation Ltd. — an innovation lab associated with Basler Kantonalbank — launched with name, logo, and design by Scholtysik in January 2019. The brief was to brand a unit built to “meet needs yet unknown with solutions yet unknown.” Scholtysik

Additional Pre-2020 Highlights

• Better Sound 2018 (ISA): Audio branding for Bank Cler — rounding out strategy, visual ID, POS, and brand sound into a full stack. Scholtysik

• Digitalswitzerland Membership (2019): Scholtysik became the first branding agency member, reflecting its role at the intersection of design and national digital transformation. Scholtysik

• “Zurich Birdview” (2018): A distinctive imagery concept for a law firm, combining Google Maps and drone photography across 90+ km² to build a coherent visual language. Scholtysik

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What This Body of Work Shows (before 2020)

1. System thinking at scale: From national utilities (Swissgrid) to university hospitals (UPK Basel) and retail banking (Bank Cler / Zak), Scholtysik used modular systems that non-designers can operate daily without losing brand coherence. Scholtysik+2Scholtysik+2

2. Digital-first craft: SwissID and Zak demonstrate deep attention to UI constraints, accessibility, and multilingual usability — not just logos. Scholtysik+1

3. Clear positioning + bold simplicity: The renaming to Bank Cler and maxon exemplifies Scholtysik’s preference for concise names and focused promises that travel well across channels. Scholtysik+1

4. Public-interest storytelling: Projects like Berner Generationenhaus and Swiss Digital Day show how straightforward design frameworks can host lively societal conversations. Scholtysik+1

Bottom line: By 2019, Scholtysik had already assembled a portfolio of consequential Swiss brands — banking, healthcare, utilities, and national programs — built on deliberate strategy, disciplined identity systems, and real-world usability.