Building a cohesive visual identity for foundU
Design Brief
When I joined foundU as the Visual Design Manager, the company had just undergone a rebrand that lacked cohesion and failed to capture the breadth of its services. I was tasked with refining and expanding the visual identity to clearly express foundU’s mission as a modern workforce platform and connect with its target audience.
Company
Role
Timeframe
Platform
Visual Design Manager
foundU
Digital Marketing Materials, Print Collateral, Customer Communications, Training Assets, Internal Documentation
6 months
Design Objective
The project aimed to develop a cohesive, polished visual identity that clearly represented the foundU brand and could be consistently applied across all touchpoints. Key goals included expanding the colour palette for greater flexibility, redesigning icons for improved clarity and personality, introducing stylised screenshots and imagery to create a clean, timeless look, and ensuring brand consistency across digital and physical assets. I also rewrote the brand guidelines and led training sessions so teams could apply the changes correctly
Design Considerations
Expanded Colour Palette
The original brand colours were limited in scope. I introduced an extended palette, including tints and tones, to provide design flexibility without straying from the core brand identity. This enabled more dynamic and versatile visuals across the website, marketing materials, and training assets.
Redesigned Icons
The previous icons were complex and lacked a distinct personality. I simplified and refined them to better align with foundU’s modern, clean aesthetic, enhancing both usability and brand expression.
Stylised Screenshots and Imagery
Previously, real-time screenshots added visual clutter and irrelevant detail. I replaced them with clean, stylised versions that highlighted key information, and introduced vibrant, diverse imagery to add warmth and personality.
Consistency Across All Assets
To deliver a seamless brand experience, I applied the refreshed identity consistently across all digital and physical channels—including website, social media, customer communications, and training materials.
Brand Guidelines and Training
To maintain consistency and empower teams, I rewrote the brand guidelines and facilitated training sessions across marketing, training, and communications teams. This provided teams with a clear grasp of the new visual standards and the guidance to apply them correctly.
Impact & Results
The refined visual identity addressed the weaknesses of the previous rebrand and significantly enhanced foundU’s brand perception. The expanded colour palette, redesigned icons, and stylised imagery created a cohesive, modern, and user-friendly aesthetic. This not only improved brand cohesion but also allowed greater design flexibility across multiple contexts—all while maintaining consistent brand expression. With updated guidelines and organisation-wide training, foundU’s core message and values are now communicated clearly and consistently across all touchpoints.
Conclusion
The development and rollout of foundU’s refreshed visual identity was a transformative process that resolved key challenges from the prior rebrand. By expanding the colour palette, redesigning icons, and introducing stylised imagery, I created a cohesive, modern identity aligned with foundU’s mission and values. Consistent application across all assets has strengthened the brand’s presence, resulting in a more engaging experience that resonates with users and stakeholders alike.