Brand
Responsibilities
Web design
Brand Identity
Business strategy
Research
Concept Development
Project
Creative agency development
Summary
USH was my bachelor project answering the following problem statement: How can a creative agency, focusing on sustainability, stand out from the rest of the competition through education and entertainment?
USH
We knew if we are starting a creative agency we would have to stand out somehow from the rest of the competition. We started looking at our options and went back to the very companies that inspired us. We saw that essentially they are all doing the same or similar things but in their own way. For us, this was clearly not the way to go, so we looked for inspiration elsewhere, and eventually came up with a business model focusing on building a community behind a brand/company. This business model itself is of course not enough, therefore, we have to develop a brand with a strong purpose and this is where sustainability comes to play.
Project structure
In order to have optimized development of the project and a coherent structure, Double diamond method was used since it clearly conveys a design process. The two diamonds represent a process of exploring an issue more widely or deeply (divergent thinking) and then taking focused action (convergent thinking).
Logo
When it came to the creation of logo, It was decided that oval shapes should be used since they are perceived as more inviting, calm, organic. Next, it was decided that it should be easy to recognise, meaning it should be simple. USH wanted to stand out from the competition by making a logo into a unique symbol however it wanted to keep the convention of using letters. All of these factors led to the final result which was a symbol consisting of three oval shapes with each one of them representing one of the letters that make up the companies name. The intent of creating such a minimalistic design was to be able to use the logo itself as a fifth element of the brand.
Fonts
Font “Palanquin Dark” is used as an accent font, meaning it appears only when it should attract attention. This is a heavy sans serif font. It was chosen because sans serif fonts, in general, give out a youthful modern filing. The treason a heavy font was used is because USH wanted to create a contrast between the titles and the body copy. Furthermore, the font was used because of its curves that complement the rest of the visual identity. The second font “Roboto” was chosen mainly because of its functionality. It is commonly used as a body copy font because of its readability and diversity. It is very similar to the accent font yet it can be contrasted with its weight.
Colours
When it came to colours that should be used in the brand’s visual identity it was important to choose colours that present the brand as friendly and joyful, but at the same time, it should show the sophisticated and educational aspect of the agency. Therefore the choice was made based on the colour theory.
5th Element
The fifth element of the brand is the brands’ logo itself. However, alongside the logo, USH is planning on using “blobs” as a part of its visual identity. Once again the reason behind using such shape is to convey the feeling of peace, joy, and most importantly unity. And these are all traits of oval/circular shapes. The use of the two elements vary. The logo is intended to be used when closely speaking of brand values. On the other hand, the “blobs” are used to create texture and to create a more dynamic feel to the content. In conclusion, by using the logo as a fifth element USH wants to embed the symbol in its visual identity in order to create a strong connection between it and the brand.
Website design
When creating a design for the USH website, guidelines from the visual identity were followed. The website had to be simple yet it had to appear joyful and inviting. USHs goal was to make the website straightforward in order to make the communication clear. The website layout is following a 12 column grid. This was done in order to better organise the elements that are on the website. Furthermore, by following a grid it is easier to achieve harmony throughout the whole website.
Home Page
Work Page
Sustainability
Page
Learn Page
About Page
Product Page
