Greenstand needed a cohesive and professional visual identity that accurately reflected its mission and values. The existing branding was inconsistent, which affected user engagement and the overall perception of the organization. There was a critical need for a comprehensive style guide that included custom illustrations and icons to ensure visual consistency across all applications.

The Approach

My approach consisted of gathering preferences from team members who have been with the company for a while, conducting several brainstorming sessions and bouncing ideas off of fellow designers, as well as identifying branding inconsistencies across Greenstand applications, and utilizing DevTools to comprehend the layout, spacing, and extract color values. 

When it came time to create a detailed style guide that covered every aspect of Greenstand’s visual identity, I focused on the following aspects:

Visual Cohesion: I refined and elevated the visual identity by updating the color palette, typography, and design elements. This ensured that all visual components aligned with Greenstand’s mission and values, resulting in a consistent and professional look across all platforms. I also focused on creating accessible color combinations to ensure readability and inclusivity, and establishing a clear visual hierarchy to enhance user experience.

Custom Illustrations: I created detailed guidelines for the custom illustrations and icons that I had previously worked on. These guidelines were designed to be replicable by other designers, enhancing Greenstand's storytelling capabilities and audience engagement. The illustrations were crafted to align perfectly with the brand's aesthetic.

Unifying Typography: I standardized the typography across all applications by selecting complimentary typefaces. While maintaining the brand fonts, I carefully reviewed each heading and body text style, making adjustments to size and style in order to enhance readability and maintain visual harmony. This unification contributed to a more cohesive and polished look, reinforcing brand identity and improving the user experience.

Team Empowerment: The new style guide and illustration helped to empower the Greenstand team by providing clear, easy-to-follow guidelines. This enabled team members to independently maintain brand consistency across all applications, streamlining the design process and ensuring uniformity in all visual communications.

The Goal