Brand Strategy & Identity

Brand Strategy • Research • Logo Design • Graphic Design • Web Design • Copywriting

Taking a company from brand new to well-branded is an exciting project. This Human Resources consultancy understood the need to create a brand that would set them apart and clearly communicate their values. I worked directly with the founder to take the company from the blank page to the finished concept.

Project Objectives: Create a strong brand identity for the new company that provides flexibility during the start-up phase and has room to scale over time.

My Role:

Name the business
Establish a vision statement
Design a cohesive corporate identity (logo, stationary, apparel)
Build the website and translate the company voice to online copy
Create brand guidelines

The Brand Strategy

The Name

The name “NounHR” came from looking at the core functions of effective Human Resources. Fundamentally, HR brings together people, places, things, and ideas to help teams be successful. Elements in the branding play off the concept of people, places, and things.

Vision

Vision is a company’s purpose. I started by defining this north star to help the founder navigate all future decisions and challenges. Next, we defined their ideal clients and the problems this company would solve.

Vibe

The vibe is the brand’s overall personality, how they want to be described, and what they want to be known for. In this phase, I asked the founder to identify key traits, core values, and general aesthetic goals.

The right people in the right places with the right things can accomplish anything.

NounHR Vision Statement

The Brand Experience

Visuals

Visuals are the fun part (where everything starts to take shape)! I took the vision and vibe and brought it to life with design. Visuals included:

Logo design
Typography selection
Color palette
Business stationery
Brand guidelines

Voice

Brand voice is how a company sounds and what conversations it chooses to join. I created guidelines to help keep the voice consistent.

Word choices (“team” vs “staff” vs “employees”)
Personality (use of metaphors and puns)
Tone

Design Choices

Pattern Blocks

A core value of the company is “Better Together.”

The pattern blocks showcase that individually we are unique, but together we can build something more. We are better together. These pattern blocks can be stacked, rearranged, and scaled to create different levels of energy and branding. A flexible design element was the perfect choice for a new company looking to build their brand presence.

People, Places, Things

To build the brand narrative, I made use of the key components of a noun: people, places, things, and ideas. This deliberate play on words creates repetition an brand awareness, helping prospects remember NounHR.

This brand is a balance of fresh and traditional. NounHR is approachable and delightfully unexpected while still being grounded and professional.

Website Design

Technology Used: It was important that the client be able to update and maintain the website without ongoing support. I built the site on Squarespace with added custom HTML/CSS and integrated services like Calendly.

Pages: Home Page • About • Services • Connect

Copy: I applied the corporate voice to the website. The voice is friendly, upbeat, and approachable while maintaining professionalism.

Imagery/Icons: We used vibrant and cheerful work environments to emphasize empowerment and connection. I also selected simple yet dynamic icons that convey a sense of motion without causing distraction.