Previous iterations of the brand were memorable but lacked cohesion. While the tone was warm and friendly, it failed to balance authority, often veering into too casual. Visually, the design felt cluttered. Support imagery relied heavily on polygons as containers and an overuse of the color red thus creating a sense of chaos. Printed materials appeared loud and overwhelming, lacking subtlety and focus. The brand’s authority and refinement were diluted by excessive copy, unnecessary graphics and overuse of red type.
This new direction is more restrained with minimal use of red (primarily in the logo) and a palette of cool greys accented with teal. A 26- and 32-column grid structure has been implemented to better organize content and improve clarity. There is also a conscious effort to move away from print reliance. The new work is designed for the digital world, supporting sustainability efforts and enabling faster turnaround times and updates.
The original team was made up of 12 people. I was one of the first to join. Within six months, the team grew to 24. As projects wrapped up, it gradually shrank to just five. Over the course of 2.5 years, I managed 600 diverse projects, including a 120-page onboarding manual, sales presentations, PowerPoints, trade materials, signage, HR support documents, social media assets, print and digital ads, website and email templates, and a standardized approach to colleague headshots.
Given the company’s international scope, final designs were adapted into 14 languages, including Chinese, Hindi, and Arabic. For these languages, particularly those that read right to left, the layouts had to be carefully adjusted to ensure proper text formatting.