"Brand identity lies in the details": Achieve flexible web design with microCMS

Hello. This isKototsuki Design.

“We want a stylish website.” This is something we hear often when consulting on web design. At the same time, when we’re actually discussing projects, we also hear comments like, “It looks nice, but something’s off,” or “It ends up looking too much like other companies’ sites,” quite frequently.

Today’s web industry is overflowing with beautiful, polished “stylish websites.” But the reality is that most of them are designed in such a way that if you swapped out the company name and logo for those of another company, no one would even notice.

Why does the “company’s unique identity” disappear even when you’ve hired professionals to create a beautiful site? In this article, we’ll unravel the source of that sense of dissonance and explain how to create a “brand-appropriate design” that breathes life into every detail.

Before we dive into the main topic, just a quick note. If you’re wondering, “What is microCMS, anyway?” or “How is it different from other tools?” and want to get the big picture first, please read our article “What Is microCMS?” before continuing.

That way, the specific details I’m about to discuss will make more sense and feel more relevant to you.

What Is “Brand-Authentic Design”?

To begin with, what does “authenticity” mean in the context of design? As an easy-to-understand example, imagine the Inazuma Rock Festival—Shiga Prefecture’s flagship rock festival—and the Otsu Festival, a fall tradition in Otsu.

At the Inazuma Rock Festival, held on the Karasuma Peninsula, colorful signs, playful typefaces, and maps placed throughout the venue create an exciting atmosphere that’s “fun, lighthearted, and easy to navigate.” On the other hand, what about the historic Otsu Festival?Lanterns lit at dusk, the spirited chants of “Tokoyoi, Tokoyoi” echoing alongside the “Konchikichin” festival music, and the imposing Hikiyama floats—all exude a sense of “preserving history” and “local pride.”

Although both are “events” in Shiga, their “design philosophies”—what they want participants to feel—are completely different, and this is clearly reflected in the “details,” such as the atmosphere and sounds of the space.

The same applies to websites. Design is not simply about decorating the surface with a “stylish atmosphere.” It is, in essence, the process of designing down to the finest details to determine “who we want to reach and what emotions we want them to feel.”

Design is not just about “appearance”

We often say, “Appearance is the very last result.”

Beautiful layouts and smooth animations are, after all, merely the output. Before that lies a vast amount of invisible structural work: “In what order should we convey the information?” “What meaning should we assign to this button?” “What kind of experience do we want users to take away?”

We infuse the “essence”—such as a company’s philosophy and stance—into that framework. Only then does it become “design” with a soul.

How Does a Brand’s Identity Emerge?

Functional aspects and usability—such as “buttons that are easy to press” or “fast loading times”—are, of course, wonderful things. They are also one of the major strengths of microCMS, which we use.

However, when it comes to building a brand, that alone is not enough. High functionality is, so to speak, the “foundation.” Unless that foundation is underpinned by a clear core—specifically, “for whom is this experience, and what is its purpose?”—the result will end up being nothing more than a website that merely lists information.

To create a brand identity, we first need to “articulate” our values—that is, define our concept. Then, we must prioritize what to communicate and what to deliberately leave out. It is only by thoroughly examining “how we want to be perceived by the world” that our unique identity truly takes shape.

We’ve organized the structure—which builds from a “functional foundation” toward “brand identity”—from three perspectives: UI, UX, and graphics (branding).

We’ve compared the roles of each element with the specific design tasks they entail.

By organizing the elements that shape a brand, the importance of a “unique character”—which goes beyond mere “usability”—becomes clear.

Why Do So Many Websites “Lack Authenticity”?

Despite this, why is the world still flooded with “similar-looking websites”? To put it simply, it’s because “they’re forcing themselves into pre-made templates.”

They simply plug in whatever photos and text they have on hand into a predetermined layout. They’re just assembling pre-made components. Admittedly, this approach is efficient and easy.

However, the moment you adopt a template’s structure, “expression in the details” becomes restricted, and the company’s unique character gets diluted, resulting in a “deja vu” impression.In exchange for efficiency, they’re losing the most important element: “brand character.” This is the root of the uneasiness we feel when we see a mass-produced website that’s “stylish yet leaves no lasting impression on anyone.”

That is precisely why “free-form design” is necessary.

This is precisely why we prefer to use the microCMS system in our production work.

Based on my experience working with several CMS platforms, I’ve found that a “headless CMS” like microCMS isn’t constrained by specific plugins, outdated libraries like jQuery, or predetermined HTML structures—unlike traditional systems.

Instead of adapting the design to “what the system can do,” we can adapt the system to “the design (layout) we want to express.”

Precisely because we don’t have to compromise our design to fit an off-the-shelf system, we can pay meticulous attention to every detail of the brand. We use microCMS as the “behind-the-scenes” tool that makes this possible.

What Changes When the Design Changes?

When you move away from templates and rebuild your site with a design and structure that truly reflects your company’s identity, you’ll see a clear difference.

Your company’s unique character and brand concept become easier to convey, and user reactions shift from “It’s pretty and looks nice” to a deeper sense of empathy, such as “What this company is saying really resonates with me” or “I feel like this is a good fit for me.”

Your message will “truly resonate,” ensuring your site doesn’t get lost among countless others and instead leaves a lasting impression. This is an overwhelming strength, whether for recruitment efforts or corporate branding.

This Approach Is Best Suited for Companies Like These

As you can see from what we’ve discussed so far, the “brand-centric design approach” we propose isn’t suitable for every company.

Our approach is absolutely unsuitable for companies that simply want “a cheap, quick website that serves as a business card.”

On the other hand, our approach is a perfect fit for companies currently experiencing the following issues or concerns:

• “We built our site using a template, but it just doesn’t feel like our company.”
• The design looks great, but it’s not generating the inquiries you expected
• They haven’t been able to effectively articulate their true strengths and appeal
• They have a recruitment site, but there’s a mismatch with applicants

“Even if it takes time, we want to build the foundation for a brand that will be cherished for years to come.” For companies that genuinely feel this way, I am convinced this will be the most powerful tool at their disposal.

7. Summary | “Authenticity” Lies Beyond the Design

In this day and age, anyone can easily create a site that’s merely beautiful and well-organized using AI or free tools. That’s precisely why the value of superficial “stylishness” is steadily declining.

“Authenticity” doesn’t come from embellishing the appearance; it quietly resides at the heart of a deep, thoughtful design that breathes life into every detail.

If you find yourself looking at websites similar to your competitors’ and feeling a sense of unease—thinking, “Our company should really be different”—or if you have a vague feeling that “something just isn’t quite right,” I believe that intuition is spot on.

That sense of dissonance is surely a crucial starting point for reshaping your brand. We will continue to tackle the task of designing this “authenticity” head-on.