A look at the brand identity development process
about the project
Brand and identity design for Singlestone® (formerly Dominion Digital), a Customer Experience strategy provider implementing solutions spanning culture, process, and technology, all with the combined goal of enhancing Customer Experience and improving business results.
*Work executed under the leadership of Padilla Richmond
about singlestone
Technology changes the pace of business. Singlestone helps you keep up.
Big data is only getting bigger. The Cloud allows your competitors to be smaller and more agile. And software just keeps getting more sophisticated. Everyone is trying to improve the customer experience, but that’s not enough. You need to transform how you think and work. Singlestone works at the intersection of all of these challenges, enabling true enterprise speed and agility. We build teams with the right mix of in-demand skills to help you answer the questions you’re asking. We are experts in the methods, tools and technologies that are changing the way people think and work.
Among Singlestone’s many client relationships
The New Brand Defined
A small, single stone has the power to create ripples that span an entire body of water. In the same way, at Singlestone we believe human experiences have a ripple effect too.s
THE NEW BRAND DEFINEd
A small, single stone has the power to create ripples that span an entire body of water. In the same way, at Singlestone we believe human experiences have a ripple effect too.
The Legacy Brand Landscape
Uninspired Brand
Dominion Digital was stuck with an uninspired brand that did not reflect the real culture, or the innovative mindset of the organization.
Beliefs Not Reflected
The leadership wanted to continue providing exceptional technology solutions, but in a way that reflected their belief that technology should meaningfully impact people who use it.
Generic Name
The name of the organization was generic and dated. The name “Dominion” is used in many Virginia companies, including the Power Company. And “Digital” was a dated technology that did not reflect the cutting edge technology the company was capable of providing.
What Next?
Brand research proved all the points were valid both inside and outside the company. But what next? The leadership of Dominion Digital embraced a renaming dynamic led by Padilla Richmond to refresh their brand with a new name and new look that better matched where they wanted to win new conversations. The new name: Singlestone.
Process
Strategy Brief > Ideagrams > Exploration > Consensus > Refinement > Express/Expand > Launch
Strategy Brief > Ideagrams > Exploration > Consensus > Refinement > Express/Expand > Launch
When we look at the look and feel of a brand, we start with the broad picture. As we continue to explore and push the limits of concept development, we eventually arrive at the logical and natural answer for what the logo, or the punctuation of the brand should be. By applying this way of thinking, we avoid developing identity systems around a logo. Instead, they focus on the brand touch points that matter most, to create memorable experiences at every level.
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Ideagrams
The design process begins with the development of ideagrams — graphic sketches informed by brand characteristics identified within the strategy brief. The intent is to sample a wide range of possibilities. Thoughts and half-thoughts. Just enough to convey an idea and allow for both design team and client insights and contributions. Which ideas are interesting? Which are absolutely not ‘us.’ Ideagrams are then winnowed to the stronger ones for further exploration.
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Wordmark Typography
We sample hundreds of typefaces for the new brand, often ammending letterforms to express personality and create a unique wordmark.
Color Discovery
Concurrently, we explore differing color palettes. We want ours to possess flexibility, convey uniqueness, and have a family of hues that convey the personality of the new brand. We compare/contrast them against your market competitors.
Exploration
Ideagrams, typography, color, symbols, photography, illustration and new ideas are merged to create candidates that capture the new brand’s personality. We create mini-environments for each candidate mark so designer, client and stakeholders can build consensus as to which has the potential to tell a great story and represent the new brand.
CONSENSUS and REFINEMENT
Agree. Craft. Polish.
EXPRESS • EXPAND • SHARE
Guidelines are developed that demonstrate the brand’s look and establish the brand’s voice. These characteristics are reflected in designs for business papers, powerpoint templates, promotional pieces, the corporate website, brochures and tradeshow exhibits. A style guide is created that documents the development work, serving as a design reference and aspirational tool for growing the brand.
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