Over the past five years, we've grown significantly as professionals and as an organization. Now, it’s time to reflect these changes in our branding.
From the logo to our fonts, we've modernized everything. Now, our identity is unified, modernized, and simply more exciting.
In this article, we'll tell you all about our rebranding.
The Process
On the way to our new visual identity, the team considered numerous options. We went through at least four distinct iterations.
Initially, our focus was on highlighting the company's evolution over the past five years. In other words, we wanted something brand new. We kicked off with a three-hour briefing session delving into our values, purpose, and collaborative brainstorming.
The next stage, as it normally is, was moodboarding. That way we could better articulate and sync on the directions for our new identity.
One of the concepts we explored involved visually representing ourselves as a design agency. We drew inspiration from a UI grid which, as designers, is something we encounter daily. Our idea was to infuse the 2D space with dynamic 3D elements showcasing various UI patterns.
Next, we explored the ribbon option. This approach allowed us to creatively stylize the letter "E" while also providing versatility for repurposing this visual element in different ways.
The goal was to visually convey our dynamism, vigor, adaptability, and capacity to thrive in diverse circumstances. The ribbon serves as a symbol of unity, as its graphic form virtually embraces every member of our team, reinforcing our cohesion and collective strength.
While the idea garnered a lot of support, ultimately, it was shelved. We realized that our existing identity has become highly recognizable over the past five years. As such, we opted to retain our current branding but give it a refresh, ensuring it stays relevant in our evolving landscape.
Our old identity had a few drawbacks. One prominent issue was the absence of a distinct graphic symbol. Our previous logo relied solely on a typographic solution, which posed limitations in its application, particularly for things like Instagram avatars or favicons.
Therefore, we considered various icon solutions. Here are a few versions:
Additionally, while iterating, we conceived the idea of incorporating two crossed stickers. Concurrently, we explored various expressive techniques including the use of serifs. Here are a few initial iterations:
We’ve now covered all the puzzle pieces that make up our new branding. Let's now examine the outcomes.
The Results
The Branding Reel
A video speaks louder than a dozen images. Here's what we achieved 👇
Not enough details? – Read on.
New Logo
The updated logo features both graphic and text components. It comprises two stacked cards with serifs, mirroring a graphic shadow of the top sticker. The text version also incorporates these serifs.
Serifs
As you might have gathered, from now on, we'll use lots of serifs. This, in our opinion, is a great opportunity to prominently brand visual elements: from the logo to the icons.
We designed our visual identity such that the serifs are the same regardless of the element size.
New Font
For quite some time, we relied on Neue Haas Grotesk. However, it didn’t support the Cyrillic alphabet. This posed a significant issue as our website has been translated into Ukrainian for several years.
Previously, we had to resort to selecting similar fonts. Now, we have one font for all use cases. We’ve settled on a Ukrainian Prostir Sans.
Color Updates
We used to use five colors: three primary and two secondary. Notably, we updated both secondary colors, as the previous ones were dimmer and less legible on a white background. Moreover, they weren’t ideal for printing on physical media.
The new colors, on the other hand, are Pantone-matched. This ensures consistency across various platforms.
Icons
Previously, we utilized our own set of icons, which served their purpose just fine. However, we saw an opportunity to enhance their recognizability by incorporating serifs. It seemed like a promising chance to elevate their impact. So we seized it.
Patterns
We frequently employed diverse decorative patterns. However, they lacked uniformity. Each designer had their own style, resulting in a lack of cohesion. Now, on the other hand, we've established a coordinated system to ensure consistency across all designs.
Layout
We introduced rounding to numerous elements, which effectively incorporates negative space into the composition. This makes our graphics look more modern and recognizable. Moreover, the rounded elements now fit together snuggly, further contributing to their distinctiveness.
Merch
We have lots of plans for an updated merch line. So far, we’ve implemented new work passes. More merch news to come soon 🤞
What’s next
Rebranding ourselves was tougher than working with clients. We were keenly aware of the many directions we could pick. But we finally settled on one.
Our team put in a ton of work, resulting in a new brand book. So what’s next?
– We’ll keep creating cool designs. But now, with an even cooler identity.
