What happens when a design is not tested?
A visual identity redesign can be a powerful tool for refreshing a brand, aligning it with new values, and attracting new generations of consumers. But when implemented without adequate testing, it can become one of the most expensive failures in a company’s history.
Below are three famous examples that show what happens when a design is launched without verified feedback from real users.
🟠 Cracker Barrel (2025)
- Redesign: Removed the recognizable “Uncle Herschel” character, leaving only the text logo in a modern gold color.
- Testing: There is no evidence that the logo was tested before launch. The change was implemented internally, without announcement or user involvement.
- Result: Huge backlash on social media, $100 million drop in stock value, withdrawal of redesign within 8 days.
🟠 Tropicana (2009)
- Redesign: Removed the distinctive orange and straw visual, replaced with a minimalist juice glass.
- Testing: The design was done by the Arnel agency, but there was no adequate testing with consumers.
- Result: A $30 million drop in sales in just two months, the return of the old packaging after 45 days.
🟠 GAP (2010)
- Redesign: Classic blue square replaced with black text with a small blue square.
- Testing: There was no testing – the logo was launched without warning, without community involvement, and without a phased introduction.
- Result: More than 14,000 parodies online, design withdrawal within 6 days, $100 million loss.
📌 What do these cases have in common?
- Ignoring the emotional value of design.
Design is not just aesthetics – it is memory, identity and trust. - Lack of testing with real users.
Without focus groups, A/B tests, and emotional analysis, brands risk losing touch with the market. - Too rapid changes without transition.
Change must be explained, phased in, and supported by a narrative – otherwise it will cause resistance.
✅ Conclusion
If a redesign is not tested – it is not innovation, but a gamble.
Brands that ignore users before launch often lose them afterwards.
Want to learn how to test a design before launching it?
Contact us – we help brands avoid costly mistakes and build an experience that the market recognizes and accepts.
📩 Contact us
📊 Learn more about our expertise