StartupNow - Brand identity for a startup accelerator consultancy
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An N and an S tied into one ribbon.
StartupNow
Brand identity, 2016
About the project
StartupNow is an Amman consultancy that helps governments, NGOs, companies and universities build startup accelerators and programs. Founder Saeed Omar wanted the brand to look expert and wise without a stiff corporate feel. Between December 2015 and March 2016 we ran brand discovery, drew about 40 logo ideas and built a space-themed identity around the line Helping organizations help startups.
Project
StartupNow Brand Identity
Industry
Startup Consulting
Location
Amman, Jordan
Date
2016
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Client Request
StartupNow needed a brand that looks serious and wise to governments and corporations, with no jargon or corporate look, and still speaks to founders.
StartupNow
Brand brief, December 2015
Design Pillars
Core Brand Principles
A clean wordmark with a light STARTUP and a bold NOW.
The N and S of the name fold into one line in yellow, red, teal and blue.
Stars, moons and astronauts give the brand the feel of a launch.
Exploration
From 40 Sketches to One Mark
Discovery
We started with a brand personality survey and a logo brief with the StartupNow team.
Sketches
We drew about 40 monograms and wordmarks, then narrowed them to a single line mark.
The Final Mark
The line became a four-color ribbon next to the STARTUPNOW. wordmark.
The Challenge
Problem Statement
The Main Goal: Look Expert to Big Partners
StartupNow sells accelerator programs to governments, NGOs, companies and universities, then runs them with founders. The brand had to earn trust with the first group and still feel like a startup to the second, on the website, at events and in proposals.
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Helping organizations help startups.
StartupNow Tagline
Plexable, 2016
Our Approach
Solution
A Brand System for Events and Proposals
Logo, color, a space-themed image style, stationery, event badges, merchandise and a template for proposals. It is an example of our Branding work.
01 - Logo and Wordmark
An N and S ribbon with a light and bold STARTUPNOW. wordmark.
02 - Color and Imagery
Yellow, red, teal and blue on black, with stars, moons and astronauts.
03 - Brand in Use
Badges, buttons, business cards, a towel, a letterhead, the website and proposal covers.
Before & After
The Blueprint & Evolution
First Draft to Final Mark
We tightened the first version of the mark before the site launched.
Before: the first color mark, from the February 2016 web design.
After: the final ribbon mark and STARTUPNOW. wordmark.
Design
Key Features
A Space Theme
Starfields, constellation lines and astronauts carry the idea of a launch across print and web.
Events and Merchandise
Speaker badges, buttons, business cards and a printed towel for StartupNow events.
Design System
Visual Identity
Wordmark
STARTUP in a light weight and NOW. in bold, so the second word stands out.
Color Palette
Yellow, red, teal and blue for the mark, set on black or white.
Proposal Design
Proposal covers and pages in the brand, with an astronaut helmet on the front and a starfield on the back.
Impact
From Logo to Launch
Results for StartupNow
StartupNow used one look across its website, events, merchandise and the proposals it sent to partners in 2016.
StartupNow
Result
By the Numbers
About 40 Logo Ideas
Monograms and wordmarks explored before the final mark.
4 Brand Colors
Yellow, red, teal and blue in one ribbon.
1 Brand for Web and Print
The same system on the website, badges, merchandise and proposals.
Exploration
The Logo Journey
From Line to Ribbon
The mark started as a single line drawn from the N and S of the name. We gave it four colors, paired it with the wordmark and carried it into a space-themed brand. You can see some of the results below.
Final Showcase
The StartupNow Brand
