Rebrands are dangerous enterprise. Good ones elevate the feel and appear of a model and resonate with energy customers (Webflow, anybody?). Lower than stellar ones really feel contrived. Some rebrands are polarizing and trigger a ruckus on social, solely to be deemed profitable when the mud lastly settles. Bear in mind when the brand new Instagram emblem dropped?
It’s a slender goal, however there’s a candy spot the place rebrands really feel “proper,” the adjustments are virtually apparent, and the work paves the best way for years of development.
So what separates the nice from the unhealthy and the becoming from the compelled? Prior to now 12 months, we developed the Assist Scout model and discovered rather a lot within the course of. Whereas every journey is exclusive, there are some steps any workforce can take to make large adjustments occur, rapidly and at scale.
Set a transparent imaginative and prescient (and don’t be too treasured)
We set out by forming a cross-functional working group that included representatives from the chief, model, and product design groups. Taking inventory of our present model highlighted bottlenecks and helped establish aspirations.
Our new model wanted to be daring and opinionated, and talk the craft and energy of our product. Groups wanted to have the instruments and methods to scale this work out, and the model and product wanted to be as related as ever. Simple, proper?
We wished to work transparently and do the work in-house, so we held month-to-month syncs and shared frequent updates. This stored suggestions loops small and ensured we had buy-in alongside the best way. We structured the workstream to exist in parallel with day-to-day work carried out by the artistic workforce.
We agreed that new concepts that felt sturdy might discover their approach into the work we have been actively delivery. The model evolution course of trickled out as we have been defining it. Our not-too-precious mentality gave us a superb alternative to check reception available in the market, loop in additional workforce members, and cut back work on the tail finish.
Root adjustments in values
We knew that creating pointers and methods — all derived from and aligned to our values — would unlock our small however mighty in-house workforce. What would grow to be an ~80 web page doc set the muse for rollout and clarified our visible and verbal methods.
Model basis and messaging
Truing up our firm imaginative and prescient, mission, and values was a important step in our course of. Solidifying our model basis gave us a tonal benchmark for each following resolution, from writing copy to selecting typefaces.
With values in tow, we consolidated our model writing ideas and product messaging into one doc, additional synchronizing our model. New boilerplate content material, worth props, and key messaging served as a jump-off level for all the pieces else we’d write.
Model identification
Whereas greater adjustments have been on the desk, the profitable kind issue and values-aligned which means of our present emblem guided us to refine somewhat than overhaul. The mark resembles a refined, summary “H,” and our CEO Nick Francis tell us that he thinks of the brand mark because the three fingers of the “scout’s honor” signal.
We up to date the letterforms to be extra trendy and legible, adjusted proportions, and launched our new core model coloration, Cobalt. We ended up with a extra scalable emblem and a timeless wordmark, and we stored all of our hard-earned fairness. Win-win-win.
Model system
To make sure our workforce had the instruments to create work that delivered on the daring, opinionated aspirations of the model, we created a brand new model software package that enabled designers to construct at scale. We shored up our overarching visible path, repositioned the product as our major storytelling software, and paired all of it with a extra expressive typestack.
We revisited our palette to supply a fuller set of tints and shades throughout the colour spectrum. This allows us to create accessible UI and website pages in addition to vibrant editorial content material and visuals.
Construct a system (and be prepared to interrupt it)
Armed with the highway map of name pointers, we constructed methods to maintain our groups related to the identical sources and pointers. These sources have been designed to vary and be fluid.
Making large, international adjustments
Design methods have a popularity for being inflexible. Whereas that could be the case generally, methods will also be a way for iteration and international change. Establishing dozens of sort kinds with font-size and line-height tokens appears like a variety of work (and it’s), however with the ability to stay with these kinds (and alter them in a single fell swoop) is empowering.
At one level within the course of, we took a superb, exhausting take a look at our Cobalt 600 / Motion Default coloration swatch. Was it eye-catching sufficient? We took a beat, workshopped the colour ramp, and, in a number of clicks, have been in a position to roll the change out throughout parts, code, logos, and extra. The benefit of a system isn’t that it’s mounted and outlined. The true energy of a system is in its fluidity, the place adjustments are holistic and never one-off.
Refreshing the advertising and marketing website
Within the Johnny Money tune “One Piece at a Time,” Money sings from the angle of an vehicle meeting line employee who would steal one half per day, ultimately constructing himself a brand new automobile. We constructed our automobile (advertising and marketing website) the exact same approach, including our new design system and model path one website part at a time. Now that every one the constructing blocks are new and dialed-in, the complete website feels dialed-in. By specializing in the constructing blocks, we’ve enabled a number of groups to create extra pages with out a lot growth and design assist.
Deepening our two-way sync between model and product
We’ve at all times made some extent to work shoulder to shoulder as product and model design groups. For years we’ve shared design methods, and our work is strongest when all events are concerned. Our new product-focused visible path depends on that alignment greater than ever.
Enhancements to our new system deepened that connection by creating extra shared parts and tokens. This additionally signifies that the product takes middle stage on either side of the login display, creating a way of continuity for guests and clients alike.
We have been bullish on staying in lockstep with the product workforce by syncing up the launch of our new model with the overhaul of our core product function, Inbox. Not solely have we modernized the inbox expertise with a strong new editor (and way more), however the whole app has been rethemed to match the brand new model. You may see extra Inbox options throughout the advertising and marketing website by beginning a free trial or opting-in as a buyer right now.
Forecast the longer term
All informed, we accomplished our model evolution in simply over a 12 months. This extraordinarily lean timeline was made potential by the expertise of our in-house workforce and since our methods have been constructed with change in thoughts. Our methods and guidelines-driven method wasn’t about etching selections in stone. As a substitute, our method created an ecosystem that drives cohesion and welcomes iteration on a extra international stage.
Did all this work hit the rebrand candy spot? To date we’ve acquired nice suggestions, stored our high-performing web optimization efforts intact, and even had pages just like the AI function web page encourage the next charge of parents to strive the software program. One customer cited, “If the brand new look feels prefer it’s at all times been there, you’ve executed it proper. And, by golly, this one feels pure.”
Whereas the reception’s been nearly as good as we might hope, our workforce is aware of that model work isn’t executed. I personally subscribe to the Dwelling Model philosophy, espoused by Michael Jager of Solidarity of Unbridled Labour design studio: “Manufacturers reside issues. They develop. Adapt. Evolve. To flourish, they must be nurtured.”
Our method leaned closely on setting a strong basis. Doing so set us up for the following (and arguably most vital) stage — to nurture the model and proceed to evolve. Our groups now have the methods and instruments to go deeper and sooner at scale, charting a course towards — and enabling — the innovation to return.
