Forget 10Ks, Trait wants to put the fun back in running again with its brand by Studio zur Strassen

Trait wants you to think differently about running. The running-focused training app insists that running shouldn’t be all about crushing the goals and getting the ks in. Perhaps, the way to approach running – especially for people looking to build a consistent habit – is to focus on the joy of movement and the rhythm of going for a run every day, and then soaking in that euphoric high. This very emotional side of running is what Trait is now all about; the app used to be known as Twaiv, which offered guidance on marathon and half-marathon training. With a change in its point of view, it also needed a new name and identity. Munich-based brand designer and strategist Yannick zur Strassen – founder of Studio zur Strassen – was involved with Trait quite early on, as was a whole troop of independent designers, including Mark O’Neill, Stephen McLaughlin, Marta Azaña and James Richardson. The team sculpted the whole process, from arriving at the new name, defining the strategy, developing the pre-seed investment deck – which led to Trait securing over one million Euros in the first funding round – and then building the new product and brand from the ground up. “Central to the brand’s foundation is the value of ‘communication on an eye-level,’ which meant creating a visual identity that feels approachable and authentic – not over-engineered,” zur Strassen tells us. “We took cues from the running-crew culture, known for its raw, DIY, almost punk-like energy, and blended it with the brand’s positive and empathetic ethos. The result is a clean and simple design that still plays with those quirky, joyful and unexpected moments that add character.”