How Etsy Found One Way for Its Brand to Move

Etsy is an online market where people buy and sell things. Its brand was easy to recognise, but it needed shared movement rules. Etsy asked a studio called Vucko to design those rules. The studio wanted Etsy to feel familiar wherever people saw it move. The rules also had to work for teams with different needs.

Vucko chose three ideas to guide the way Etsy's brand moves. Joy is about the feeling of finding something special on Etsy. Simplicity helps movement stay clear and easy to follow. Craft means taking care with how small parts look and move. The team used these ideas to decide what felt right for Etsy.

Before making the rules, Vucko spoke with people across the company. It learned how different teams make things and use movement. A team working on the Etsy site may need clear movement. It can still use a small surprise when that helps the experience. A team making an ad may use bigger movements but still needs clarity.

Vucko wanted the rules to give people room to make choices. The studio shared work in progress so others could respond early. These talks helped people see where the rules should stay the same. They also showed where different groups needed room to make changes. Etsy can now use the same ideas without making every piece move alike.