Patrik Gebhardt

I bring experience shaped in four cities: Stockholm, London, Paris, and Washington D.C. What continues to drive me is curiosity, the moment when an idea finds its structure, when things click, and a direction becomes clear.

I’ve led teams, run my own studio, and worked with organisations of many kinds, from cultural institutions to international consumer brands. Throughout these experiences, one approach has stayed constant: understand the core, translate strategy into visual decisions, and build identity systems that are coherent, scalable, and grounded in purpose. I value collaboration and enjoy working alongside strategists, researchers, and designers to bring clarity to both thinking and execution across digital, physical, and motion-driven touch points.

I’m used to working in cross-functional teams where different disciplines challenge and refine one another, and I enjoy turning insights into design systems that teams can use and grow with. For me, digital is not a separate discipline; it’s where brand behaviour becomes visible. I’m comfortable shaping hierarchy, interaction principles, visual logic, and frameworks that ensure consistency across platforms.

Spending ten years abroad taught me to navigate complex environments, diverse stakeholders, tight timelines, and different cultural expectations. It helped me become clearer, faster, and more precise in my decision-making. It didn’t change my process; it shaped and refined the way I work.

Teaching has also played an essential role in my development. At Berghs School of Communication, I created and led the Strategic Design course, developed curriculum, lectured, and guided students through concept development and final projects. It strengthened my ability to articulate why design works, how strategy becomes form, and how to support others in developing their own thinking and craft. I approach team leadership the same way: transparent, engaged, supportive, and focused on raising the level.

I’m comfortable helping shape narratives, structure arguments, and explain the reasoning behind the work. I see this as an essential part of senior design leadership and an opportunity to help clients feel confident in the direction I’m proposing.

/Patrik Gebhardt