Culture Compass
Logo design and brand standards for a start-up getting ready to launch.
My Role:
Lead Designer responsible for concept development and execution, client presentation, and brand package delivery.
Company:
Key Responsibilities:
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Audience and competitor research
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Concept development and execution
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Brand standards development
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Brand package preparation and delivery
The challenge
Culture Compass is a new HR consulting firm focused on workplace engagement. They help organizations build, optimize, and scale their company culture.
The launch of this new business brought with it the need for a logo that would not only embody the company's specific focus, but also cement its legitimacy in a competitive market.
The logo and brand standards needed to feel unique within their marketspace, appropriate for their current and future audiences, and offer a foundation to grow the brand as the business grows.
Avoiding the expected, finding new opportunities
The word "compass" is visually loaded, and compass visuals are overused across industries. My team reinterpreted this visual in a way that retained its essence while steering clear of clichés.
Because this startup was new, we leaned on the founders, their intentions with the business, and their deep experience to give us insight into how they wished to be perceived. We started with their vision, their intended audience, and the aspirational futures they would help their clients create. This foundational understanding directed our design work.
The completed mark and it's meaning
The final mark is a clear geometric icon paired with contemporary typography. The icon can be interpreted as both the apex of a compass needle and a path toward a defined future.
The finished logo encapsulates precision, instills confidence, and reflects the company's expertise while remaining accessible. It's a visual narrative of a consultancy that doesn't just navigate but frames the journey towards the quintessential workplace culture.
Key take-away and lessons learned.
Creating a brand identity for a start-up can be tricky. It is not uncommon for things like core values, mission statements, vision statements, and positioning to be in flux within the minds of the founders. Careful collaboration and a transparent process helped tease out key information that lead to the success of this project. It also helped me avoid expected solutions and push deeper for a mark that had greater meaning.
With the successful launch of this company, Culture Compass has everything they need in their new logo and their brand standards to continue to build their brand purposefully and consistently.