How To Break The Noise In Tech: Untapped Branding Tips By Pony Studio Founder Stef Ivanov

In this interview series by Website Planet, I talk to executives from the best digital companies, who share their stories, tips and perspectives on what it really takes to create a successful website and online business.

A deep dive into decades of hands-on experience and technical expertise to learn untold truths and practical advice that will immediately help you build and grow your website.

My guest today is Stef Ivanov, Founder & Creative Director of Pony Studio.

During his 15+ years career in digital design, Stef has worked with 150+ tech companies, some backed by top startup accelerators and VCs, such as Y Combinator, Techstars, Seedcamp, and Founders Factory. His work has been featured on leading tech publications like The Next Web, TechCrunch, Awwwards, and Wired.

To start, tell us a bit about yourself. What is your current role at Pony, and what does your company specialize in?

Hey, thanks for having me. I’m the Creative Director and Founder of Pony Studio, a London-based branding and design agency working with fast-growing tech companies. We collaborate with companies at all stages, from startups to large organizations. However, they all share a common trait – technology is at the core of their product or service.

These companies approach us to help them differentiate and attract new business through the power of brand and design.

What are the biggest challenges you see tech companies facing with their websites and brands today, and how do you recommend they address these issues?

Easy… Noise! 

Competition is fierce, and every industry is more competitive now than it was a few years ago. The noise is overwhelming, and advanced technologies have lowered the barriers to market entry. With no-code solutions and AI, it’s much easier to build and ship a website or application now. As a result, building a product like Airbnb, Uber, or DoorDash has become cheaper and faster.

Consequently, acquiring customers and capturing market share is harder than ever. Google Ads costs are skyrocketing, organic SEO is more challenging, and even if you rank well, paid results often dominate the page in terms of clicks. Social media is increasingly competitive, and users are bombarded with options, expecting everything to be faster, cheaper, and better.

So, how do companies win that extra share of the market?

Embed your brand in customers’ memories. Make it distinct and desirable. Your visuals, tone of voice, campaigns, support, and products – all these constitute your brand. A brand is a promise. It’s what they expect. Could be positive, could be negative. There are many alternatives to Salesforce, but companies continue to pay hefty fees because they trust Salesforce to optimize their sales funnel. Building a strong brand is crucial.

If there were one part of the website development process you could spend 50% more time on, what would it be and why? What made you realize the critical importance of this step?

There are actually two parts here:

1. Design implementation
You know, we often see these beautifully designed websites that lose their magic when front-end developers start implementing them. The graphics, fonts, and colors might stay the same, but somehow the feel is just different. It’s a combination of factors: wrong sizing, padding, bad hover effects, no transitions, poorly aligned text – the list goes on forever. There’s definitely a gap in the market for good front-end agencies that can truly bring designs to life.

2. Brand maintenance
My co-founder, Desi, always says that your brand is like a beautiful garden – we design it, but it needs ongoing care and attention. Without design teams involved in the long run, brands can become repetitive, outdated, or inconsistent. Keeping your brand fresh and cohesive over time is so important.

Can you share the key ingredient in your “secret sauce” for successful inbound marketing?

We don’t do anything super innovative here; our approach is to overdeliver for every client. Many clients really appreciate it and come back with more projects. Our mission is to serve them in the best way possible. Referrals are also a significant part of our business.

“They take the time to listen and understand the project brief and then through workshops completely transform your idea into a visual identity. We hardly had to ask for any amends and completely fell in love with what they delivered from the get go. Their design process is faultless. Very much looking forward to working with them on the next phase of our app design.”
Rishi Kumar, Co-founder at Zeal

Regarding other acquisition channels, we adopt a multichannel approach. We heavily optimize our SEO, although I have mixed feelings about Google as a referral channel for new business in the near future. LinkedIn is perfect for B2B service businesses, and Instagram is excellent for building a community around specific niches (in our case, design).

Based on your experiences, what emerging trends and technologies do you believe will significantly impact the branding industry? How are you planning to adapt to these changes?

AI is undoubtedly the most impactful emerging technology. At Pony, we are integrating various AI tools into our workflow as much as possible. The challenge is the abundance of noise and promises in the market – Many AI tools turn out to be less useful upon testing. Filtering and identifying the most effective AI tools require dedicating substantial time to research and testing.

Overall, I feel optimistic about the short term (5-8 years). I believe AI will help creative teams deliver better projects more efficiently, allowing them to focus more on strategic moves and decisions. The best creative teams will become even better, while those focused solely on execution may struggle. Designers will likely transition into more strategic roles, with machines handling much of the manual design work. However, good taste and smart decision-making will remain in very high demand.

In your opinion, what is the future of branding, and how do you see it evolving over the next decade?

Branding will become much more data-focused, leveraging AI extensively. Companies will use advanced analytics to personalize and optimize their branding strategies in real-time, making customer interactions more effective. However, with the increased regulatory scrutiny and pressure on technology companies, particularly around data privacy and AI governance, they will need to prioritize compliance and responsible practices.

Personal branding will gain prominence, with companies creating authentic and relatable brand personas. We already see small brands with significant market equity – small teams but massive followings, thanks to strong online presence and automation. Authenticity and strong community connections will be vital. Consumers are looking for brands that share their values and engage transparently.

There will be a growing emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. Brands that genuinely commit to these values and use storytelling to convey their mission will stand out.

Overall, the future of branding is all about creating deeper connections with customers through data-driven insights, AI-powered personalization, and authentic engagement. Companies mastering these elements will build stronger, more resilient brands.

For aspiring designers and creative professionals, what advice would you give to help them stand out in this competitive field?

Adopt AI and always stay updated with technological advancements. Remember that every rebrand or redesign is driven by business objectives. As designers, we often romanticize our work, prioritizing aesthetics, but this is art, not design.

Strive to merge functionality with beauty, but don’t be offended if a client rejects your masterpiece because they don’t believe it will convert customers. Think of yourself as a problem solver with a keen aesthetic sense and strong technical skills. Your role is not just to create visuals but to deliver solutions that meet business needs.