Verbal Visual Experiential (VVX) matrix framework
A Map, Not a Manifesto
The VVX Matrix is a three-lane compass. One lane speaks words, one sketches visuals, one scripts experiences. Stack any idea into those cells and the fog lifts. Writers seize the phrasing that proves purpose, designers spot the shapes that carry it, and producers see exactly where a customer will feel it.
Why Everyone Nods
It lets strategic minds, visual folk, and experience designers sit at one table, point to the same grid, and nod in unison. Brand strategists shrink lofty purpose lines into copy a sixth-grader can repeat. Designers treat the middle column as a permission slip for palettes, grids, and icon sets that mean something. UX and CX leads read the experiential column like a flight itinerary, ensuring every touchpoint lands on the promised runway. Product managers pull it out when feature creep knocks. Even compliance teams appreciate seeing why a color choice ties back to ethics and trust.
One Grid, One Language
Slide the matrix into any kickoff and ask, “Which box owns your idea?” Empty squares expose fluff fast—saving budget and headaches. Onboarding speeds up, debates melt away, and every contributor speaks the same dialect.
Built on Proven Bones
Borrowing the sharpest edges of Kapferer, Wolff Olins, Interbrand, and Prophet, the matrix fuses mt semiotic practice into one lean skeleton. Clients get clarity, studios get focus, and audiences get a story that never drifts.
Visual Verbal Experiential Matrix – Fill In Guide
| DNA Element | Verbal Code (Voice & Messaging) | Visual Code (Look & Feel) | Experiential Code (Touchpoints & Behaviors) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essence | One-sentence brand soul. Example: “Friendly finance coach.” |
Signature logo or graphic cue. Example: simple badge icon that feels welcoming. |
Flagship experience that proves the essence. Example: guided onboarding chat for new users. |
| Purpose | Why the brand exists in human terms. Example: “To give everyday people clarity with their money.” |
Visual choices that spotlight the purpose. Example: transparent charts and plenty of white space. |
Activity that brings purpose to life. Example: interactive budgeting tutorials. |
| Promise | What the brand commits to deliver every time. Example: “Clear guidance, never jargon.” |
Visual device that signals trust. Example: consistent grid, calm color palette. |
Proof touchpoint. Example: quick-answer support within five minutes. |
| Personality | Tone of voice words. Example: “Helpful, witty, down-to-earth.” |
Look & feel flourishes. Example: rounded typeface plus playful icon set. |
Behavior cues. Example: plain-language emails with a light joke up top. |
| Pillars | List 3–5 core strengths. Example: 1 Clear insights 2 Smart tech 3 Human empathy |
How each pillar shows visually. Example: • Insight icons • Tech glyphs • Warm photography |
Related outputs or assets. Example: • Insight reports • Demo videos • Community webinars |
| Origin | Origin story in one line. Example: “Founded by two accountants who hated fine print.” |
Visual nod to roots. Example: subtle ledger-style lines in backgrounds. |
Experience that honors heritage. Example: yearly transparency report shared with customers. |
Visual Verbal Experiential Matrix – Johnson & Johnson (Healthcare) sample
| DNA Element | Verbal Code (Voice & Messaging) | Visual Code (Look & Feel) | Experiential Code (Touchpoints & Behaviors) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essence | Health is everything. | Red script logotype, generous white space, clinical photography. | Band-Aids to medical robots reinforce care that feels familiar yet advanced. |
| Purpose | Change the trajectory of health for humanity. | Diverse people thriving at every life stage. | Global access programs and the Credo displayed in workplaces worldwide. |
| Promise | Deliver trusted science and compassionate care, from prevention through cure. | Consistent red accent, confident serif headlines, clear infographics. | User-friendly products backed by transparent safety data. |
| Personality | Caring guardian meets restless innovator—plain language, quiet optimism. | Warm photos, soft gradients, precise grids. | Patient-first tone in every app alert, package leaflet, and social reply. |
| Pillars | 1 Credo ethics 2 R&D leadership 3 Global health equity 4 Quality & safety 5 Sustainability stewardship |
Credo callouts Innovation glyphs & molecule icons Equity heat maps QA seals Green leaf badge |
Credo Day volunteering Pipeline showcases Community clinics Quality dashboards Sustainability scorecards |
| Origin | Founded 1886 in New Jersey to make sterile dressings; now a diversified health company. | Heritage script mark anchors a unified masterbrand. | HQ heritage exhibits and digital timelines linking past breakthroughs to MedTech advances. |
Visual Verbal Experiential Matrix – Ropes & Gray (Law) sample
| DNA Element | Verbal Code (Voice & Messaging) | Visual Code (Look & Feel) | Experiential Code (Touchpoints & Behaviours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essence | Trusted legal partner for the world’s toughest deals & disputes. | Deep-navy logotype, generous white space, editorial portraits spotlighting teamwork. | Cross-office teams that drop in like special forces on complex matters. |
| Purpose | Protect and propel innovative businesses and mission-driven institutions. | Imagery of progress—cityscapes, data streams, life-sciences labs—framed by a precise grid. | “Insights” series translating precedent into plain English for GCs and boards. |
| Promise | Elite, forward-thinking counsel delivered with unwavering integrity. | Confident serif headings, modern infographics, deal tombstones. | One-call service: rapid response pods, post-matter debriefs, transparent billing dashboards. |
| Personality | Rigorous strategist meets pragmatic problem-solver—calm, candid, never showy. | Minimal palette (navy, charcoal, silver), subtle motion on digital charts. | Plain-spoken emails, partner-led briefings, DEI spotlights in social feeds. |
| Pillars | 1 Complex-matter excellence 2 Collaborative global teams 3 Client-centric innovation 4 Purpose-driven culture (DEI & pro bono) 5 Insight leadership |
Global office graphics Innovation glyphs (AI, FinTech, ESG) Pro bono crest DEI story icons Rankings badges |
Multijurisdictional deal rooms Tech demos for clients Pro bono clinics Diversity scholarships Annual “State of the Market” report |
| Origin | Founded 1865 in Boston by Ropes & Gray—maritime claims to global powerhouse. | Heritage ampersand woven into modern patterns. | HQ timeline displays and podcasts linking Civil-War roots to ESG counsel today. |
Visual Verbal Experiential Matrix - Fidelity Investments (Finance) sample
| DNA Element | Verbal Code (Voice & Messaging) | Visual Code (Look & Feel) | Experiential Code (Touchpoints & Behaviors) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essence | Trusted guide for growing and protecting your money. | Iconic green pyramid logo, crisp green-and-white palette, data visualizations that feel clear and actionable. | Omni-channel service—web, app, branch, and phone—working like one seamless console for the investor. |
| Purpose | Empower every investor to achieve lifelong financial well-being. | Imagery of real people planning milestones, steady horizon lines, and progress bars that feel attainable. | Planning tools that translate goals into step-by-step road maps; free workshops for every life stage. |
| Promise | Smart, low-cost solutions backed by real human guidance. | Cost-comparison charts, transparent fee call-outs, advisor portraits alongside AI insights. | “Get help now” buttons, next-day follow-ups, and plain-English portfolio reviews. |
| Personality | Approachable expert—clear, confident, proactive. | Modern serif headlines balanced by friendly sans-serif body copy; subtle motion cues in dashboards. | Notifications that educate before they alert; advisors open meetings with a story, not a spreadsheet. |
| Pillars | 1 Investor-first culture 2 Research-driven insights 3 Innovative technology 4 Personalized guidance 5 Financial-wellness education |
Investor-first pledge badge Market-pulse glyphs & heat maps Mobile-first UI patterns Advisor profile cards Lesson-module icons |
Quarterly market outlook webinars AI-curated news feeds Robo-advisor + human check-ins College-savings simulators On-site “Financial Fridays” at workplaces |
| Origin | Founded 1946 in Boston by Edward C. Johnson II; still privately held and family-led. | Heritage green pyramid retained while digital design advances under a unified masterbrand. | Interactive timeline in HQ lobby and online—post-war beginnings to today’s zero-commission trades. |