Standing out isn’t optional. It’s strategy.

Ever wandered down a supermarket aisle, only to realise you’ve stopped seeing the products? A wall of sameness where everything blurs into everything else. That’s exactly the problem Van Leeuwen Ice Cream had.

Despite making premium small-batch ice cream, their brand looked like… well, everyone else. The result? They got lost in the freezer aisle.

Before: Vanilla. After: Unmissable.

In 2017, Van Leeuwen ditched the busy packaging and quirky cow illustrations. They partnered with design legends Pentagram and stripped their identity right back. Clean fonts. Colour-coded tubs. No unnecessary visuals.

Sales jumped 50% within months. Why? Because they zagged.

The Pattern-Breaking Playbook

Let’s be clear. This isn’t a call to minimalism. It’s a call to see the pattern—and do the opposite. As Marty Neumeier put it:

“When everyone zigs, zag.”

If your category is screaming with maximalist chaos, maybe simple and elegant is your ticket out. But if minimalism is the trend? Lean into colour, chaos, texture, storytelling—something that slices through the noise.

Graza: Olive Oil, Rewritten

Traditional olive oil:

Glass bottles
Gold serif fonts
Mediterranean hills and grandma-approved vibes

Graza said no thanks.

They launched in neon green squeeze bottles that looked more like hot sauce. No glass, no Tuscany. Just playful, practical design—shaped for chefs, made for home cooks.

The result?

✅ Wild product-market fit

✅ $240M valuation

✅ A new normal (even California Olive Ranch copied the squeeze bottle)

This wasn’t just branding. It was functional innovation that solved a real user problem and stood out doing it.

Liquid Death: Hydration Meets Hardcore

Every water brand:

Blue labels
Mountains
Tranquillity

Liquid Death:

Tallboy aluminium cans
Metal band logos
Tagline: Murder Your Thirst

It’s water—but it doesn’t look like it. And it doesn’t feel like it. For non-drinkers in bars or at gigs, holding a Liquid Death looks like holding a beer. That subtle social signal? It matters.

$1.4B valuation later, it’s safe to say the pattern-break worked.

Notion: The Anti-Asana

In a world of rainbow-coloured productivity dashboards, Notion went full black-and-white.

No clutter. No dopamine-chasing notification centres. Just focus, flexibility, and clean space to think.

That stark contrast created a cult-like following—and a $10B valuation.

Now? Notion’s the new pattern everyone’s copying.

When Your “Zag” Becomes the New “Zig”

The catch? Break a pattern well enough, and you become the pattern. Graza now has lookalikes. Notion’s aesthetic is everywhere.

But here’s the move: Don’t stop zagging.

Every category reset is a chance to leap ahead again.

Your Pattern-Breaking Action Plan

Step 1: Audit the landscape

Grab screenshots, product photos, website links. Walk the aisle, scroll the marketplace.

Step 2: Spot the pattern

Is everyone going flat, beige, and safe? Or loud, busy, and cluttered? Identify the common threads.

Step 3: Break the pattern

Pick a key element—form factor, typography, packaging, tone — and flip it. One well-executed zag is more powerful than a dozen tweaks.

Step 4: Make it yours

Own the signature move. Whether it’s a unique colour system, a bold layout, or a UX detail no one else offers — make it stick.

Step 5: Stay nimble

When everyone starts copying your thing, it’s time to zag again.

In saturated markets, sameness is a silent killer. Bold, deliberate difference is your moat.

Design isn’t decoration — it’s differentiation.

When everyone zigs, zag louder.

Originally shared in the Demand Curve Weekly Newsletter.

Break the Pattern. Difference Is the Strategy.