Partner
Bowbridge
Services
Design Direction, Branding, Events
Partner
Bowbridge
Services
Design Direction, Branding, Events
Partner
Bowbridge
Services
Design Direction, Branding, Events
Streamlining and modernising FTSE250 utilities company
A boost was needed that would not only give a fresh, modern look but also get up to speed with the new landscape in which it would operate.
Experience (particularly at places like Burberry) had shown that consistent, rigid guidelines not only strengthened a brand but helped all staff, not just designers, spot inconsistencies more easily and help keep things on track.
When we did our audit of the existing comms, it was evident that loose branding at the beginning had laid the foundations for teams and individuals to fill gaps with branding decisions, which included aesthetic adjustments that (however well intentioned) were really only having a significantly detrimental effect on brand consistency.
So the foundations needed to be much more solid in order for us to have success.
Streamlining and modernising FTSE250 utilities company
A boost was needed that would not only give a fresh, modern look but also get up to speed with the new landscape in which it would operate.
Experience (particularly at places like Burberry) had shown that consistent, rigid guidelines not only strengthened a brand but helped all staff, not just designers, spot inconsistencies more easily and help keep things on track.
When we did our audit of the existing comms, it was evident that loose branding at the beginning had laid the foundations for teams and individuals to fill gaps with branding decisions, which included aesthetic adjustments that (however well intentioned) were really only having a significantly detrimental effect on brand consistency.
So the foundations needed to be much more solid in order for us to have success.
Streamlining and modernising FTSE250 utilities company
A boost was needed that would not only give a fresh, modern look but also get up to speed with the new landscape in which it would operate.
Experience (particularly at places like Burberry) had shown that consistent, rigid guidelines not only strengthened a brand but helped all staff, not just designers, spot inconsistencies more easily and help keep things on track.
When we did our audit of the existing comms, it was evident that loose branding at the beginning had laid the foundations for teams and individuals to fill gaps with branding decisions, which included aesthetic adjustments that (however well intentioned) were really only having a significantly detrimental effect on brand consistency.
So the foundations needed to be much more solid in order for us to have success.
What we did
We explored different visual routes, emphasising utilities, lifestyle and simplicity as the main focus, presenting them to the SLT and making necessary tweaks.
User testing and focus group workshops were set up to identify potential archetypes and to run wireframe ideas past.
Through daily sprints we began to flesh out all the touchpoints with the revised branding, collectively displayed in a war room so they could be viewed holistically.
Regular presentations to internal staff showed how the branding was developing; taking them on the journey and explaining the process over a period of time so that they would be familiar with the brand by time of launch.
As branding developed it was added into a Design System so that all designers and developers were kept up to date with changes.
Once complete, a centralised and updatable set of guidelines was created in Frontify, overcoming the issue of legacy.
Material, from papers to plastics, were tested for how tactile and durable they were so that consistency and quality wasn't compromised in any physical products.
We developed branding elements that were considerate of scalability for use across print and digital, including product design for B2B content management systems for Partners.
What we did
We explored different visual routes, emphasising utilities, lifestyle and simplicity as the main focus, presenting them to the SLT and making necessary tweaks.
User testing and focus group workshops were set up to identify potential archetypes and to run wireframe ideas past.
Through daily sprints we began to flesh out all the touchpoints with the revised branding, collectively displayed in a war room so they could be viewed holistically.
Regular presentations to internal staff showed how the branding was developing; taking them on the journey and explaining the process over a period of time so that they would be familiar with the brand by time of launch.
As branding developed it was added into a Design System so that all designers and developers were kept up to date with changes.
Once complete, a centralised and updatable set of guidelines was created in Frontify, overcoming the issue of legacy.
Material, from papers to plastics, were tested for how tactile and durable they were so that consistency and quality wasn't compromised in any physical products.
We developed branding elements that were considerate of scalability for use across print and digital, including product design for B2B content management systems for Partners.
What we did
We explored different visual routes, emphasising utilities, lifestyle and simplicity as the main focus, presenting them to the SLT and making necessary tweaks.
User testing and focus group workshops were set up to identify potential archetypes and to run wireframe ideas past.
Through daily sprints we began to flesh out all the touchpoints with the revised branding, collectively displayed in a war room so they could be viewed holistically.
Regular presentations to internal staff showed how the branding was developing; taking them on the journey and explaining the process over a period of time so that they would be familiar with the brand by time of launch.
As branding developed it was added into a Design System so that all designers and developers were kept up to date with changes.
Once complete, a centralised and updatable set of guidelines was created in Frontify, overcoming the issue of legacy.
Material, from papers to plastics, were tested for how tactile and durable they were so that consistency and quality wasn't compromised in any physical products.
We developed branding elements that were considerate of scalability for use across print and digital, including product design for B2B content management systems for Partners.
