How to Rebrand a Business: The Full Story of Mode Keyboards’ Brand Redesign

If you’ve ever wondered how to lead a real, professional rebrand from start to finish, this is the process.

I recently came across an outstanding video by Matthew Encina, where he shares exactly how he reimagined Mode’s brand as their Chief Design Officer. You can watch the video here 👇

Below, I’m breaking down the process he used into simple, actionable steps anyone can follow, whether you’re DIY-ing your own brand or working with clients. You’ll see screenshots from the video throughout this guide, so you can actually visualize how each step works.

If you’re thinking about refreshing your own brand or helping a client do it, these are the steps you want to follow.

The Four Key Steps to a Successful Rebrand

Before jumping into Mode’s story, here’s the big picture. Every effective rebrand (whether you’re a startup or a household name) follows a similar path. The process can be broken down into four essential steps:

1. Discover: Dig deep into your brand’s current reality, audience, and market. Listen more than you talk.

2. Define: Identify what matters most, what needs to change, and what you want your brand to stand for.

3. Develop: Explore creative directions, test out ideas, and build prototypes until you find what truly fits.

4. Deliver: Launch your new brand to the world, refine details, and make sure every touchpoint feels consistent.

This structure, known as the Double Diamond framework, helps teams avoid guesswork and keeps the focus on building a brand that actually works in the real world. Now, let’s see how Mode used these steps to transform their business.

What Was the Mode Project All About?

Mode builds high-quality mechanical keyboards and accessories. By 2025, they’d outgrown their original brand. The company had new products, a bigger audience, and a sharper vision for what made them different.

Matthew Encina joined at a moment where the old look and feel didn’t match what Mode had become. The team wanted a brand that actually fit their new direction and made it easier to grow, stand out, and connect with people who care about thoughtful design.

Why rebrand? Mode’s leadership saw that their current brand was holding them back. Their audience was changing. The competition was heating up. They needed to go deeper and clarify not just how they looked, but how they spoke, who they served, and what they wanted Mode to stand for.

The Strategy: Why They Used the Double Diamond

Instead of guessing or running straight to a logo refresh, Matthew used the Double Diamond framework. This is a creative process used by design teams around the world. It helps you stay focused, think deeply about what matters, and avoid chasing trends or copying competitors.

The Double Diamond keeps you honest. It makes you pause, listen, and clarify before jumping to design or messaging. You end up with a brand that actually fits... not just a “new look” that wears off in a month.

Image source: https://artkai.io/blog/double-diamond-design-process

Here’s how Mode’s rebrand lined up with the Double Diamond, and what you can take from it.

1. Discover
(Open Up and Explore)

This is where you forget about solutions for a minute and just dig. The goal is to understand what’s really happening inside the business, with the product, and in the minds of your audience.

How Matthew and the Mode team did it:

• Collected real data: web traffic, sales, and customer feedback.

• Talked to current and potential customers. Not just surface-level questions, but what they care about, why they buy, and where they struggle.

• Built personas based on actual research. Gave them names, stories, and real motivations.

• Mapped out the full customer journey. Found where people got excited, where they got confused, and where they dropped off.

• Looked at competitors and brands outside their own space to see what’s out there and where Mode actually fit.

Tips for your own project:

• Don’t filter or judge what you find at this stage. You want as much info as possible.

• Even small teams can do this. Start with five honest conversations.

2. Define
(Narrow Down and Decide)

Once you have all the research and insights, it’s time to get clear. What’s the real problem you’re solving? What’s the direction that makes sense? This is about focus.

How Mode approached it:

• Found clear themes in all their data and conversations. Patterns started to show up.

• Decided which customer types they wanted to focus on. Some features or products didn’t make the cut.

• Named the core attributes for their new brand. Not just “nice” words, but real qualities they wanted to be known for.

• Drew a line around what to keep and what to change. Some things were working and stayed. Other parts got dropped.

• Set the main goals for the rebrand: make the brand feel more human and warm, create joy for users, and focus on products that deserved to exist.

Tips for your own project:

• Be honest about what’s not working. That’s the stuff you need to address.

• It’s ok to make hard choices and cut things that aren’t a fit.

3. Develop
(Open Up and Create)

Now you go wide again. Explore possible solutions, test ideas, and get creative. Don’t rush to the finish line.

What Matthew’s team did:

• Created multiple stylescapes (visual mood boards) to try out totally different looks and feels.

• Played with messaging, visual identity, photography styles, and even small details like icons.

• Got feedback from the team and outside collaborators.

• Mixed and matched ideas. Sometimes the best direction was a blend of two or three options.

• Built out the new website structure, page layouts, and sample content using the new brand direction.

• Tested how typography, color, and images worked in real scenarios.

How you can apply this:

• Don’t settle on your first idea. Try several. Share them and see what gets a real reaction.

• Remember that brand is more than just visuals. Test your words, your site experience, and how everything fits together.

4. Deliver
(Narrow Down and Launch)

This is where you pick the best ideas, refine them, and actually roll them out. It’s about execution and real-world details.

How Mode did it:

• Finalized their new brand guidelines. Clear rules for logo, colors, fonts, voice, and photography.

• Updated the website and all customer touchpoints. Made sure everything felt consistent and on-brand.

• Rolled out the changes in phases, not all at once. This let them learn from real feedback and make adjustments.

• Kept improving as they went. Some things needed tweaks after launch. They stayed flexible and paid attention to what worked.

Tips for your rollout:

• Don’t try to flip everything overnight. Tackle high-impact areas first.

• Share the changes with your audience. Show the behind-the-scenes work and ask for feedback.

• Keep a list of lessons learned so your next project goes even smoother.

Why This Works

Matthew Encina and Mode used the Double Diamond because it forces you to pause, get the real story, and make intentional decisions before jumping to solutions. It creates a clear path from confusion to clarity, and from guesswork to a brand that actually works.

Whether you’re a solo creator, a founder, or leading a client through a rebrand, this structure helps you stay focused. It gives you a way to check your thinking at every stage. And most important, it helps you build a brand that fits your people and your purpose.