iFp Brand Refresh
Challenge:
Create a fresh logo that represents the current company values while maintaining the brand story.
Roles:
Designer
Researcher
Timeline:
2020; 2023
Project:
In 2021, a year post-grad, my bosses and cofounders of Innovators for Purpose, asked me to give the company logo an update. They felt it was time to refresh the design, but wanted to keep the colors the same.
The original company logo [above] was in need of a an update that would feel a bit more modern. I began iterating on designs, using san serif type to keep it similar to the original font style, while keeping it clean and modern. I wanted to experiment with a serif typeface as well just to see if that would add any value.
I also experimented with different lightbulb styles, e. being one the company used at an earlier time, and b. being one that I drew up.
The client opted for the serif font and original lightbulb style. I changed the square quadrants into a diamond, rather than having the black diamond in the center. The client requested a black box around the diamond, and below was the final.
As time went on, I grew as a creative and no longer felt that the logo I developed accurately reflected the company. In early 2023, I approached my bosses and suggested a revamp once again, but this time with a larger skillset in my tool belt.
Listening to the students and what they value, and getting their feedback throughout the whole design process was extremely important and enlightening.
With that, I began researching for typefaces that would give the brand a cleaner, fresher look. I wanted something modern to represent innovation and the future. The serif felt to old school for the brand. I presented the iterations at left, and #1 was the winner.
With the font picked, I started on color and also revisited my light bulb design from my first try. I did a lot of research on color psychology. I wanted colors that represented the four quadrants of our design process and the things we value. One of the first color palettes I came up with is pictured below.
The orange was to symbolize social communities, yellow for artistic creativity, blue for science and tech, and green for youth. The color palette, however, did still not feel right for iFp.
I went through a lot of iterations of potential color palettes, all attempting to represent the brand. It was really important to me that the colors mean something to us. I created a version with the original blue and pink, with a brighter green and yellow, to give the colors a fresher feel.
After many design reviews with the team, it appeared that the original color palette held value, since it had been associated so strongly with iFp. The colors held a lot of meaning to the students just from always seeing seeing them and knowing them as our brand. I picked a different green, but kept the original yellow, blue, and pink. Any brighter/lighter yellow would not pass accessibility standards with white text over it, so I opted to keep the darker, and just freshen up the green to feel more modern.
I chose to get rid of the black box from the start, because it was suffocating to the other main logo and didn’t add any value. We ended up going with the light bulb design I created as well.
I am incredibly happy with the final design.
I chose to get rid of the black box from the start, because it was suffocating to the other main logo and didn’t add any value. We ended up going with the light bulb design I created as well.
I am incredibly happy with the final design.
