Creating a Brand Identity for new business peer network group

Background

The Success Syndicate is a new peer networking group for business women and men, which helps owners holistically approach their company’s practices in a way that helps them balance life and work, by providing vital peer support and connection within business and socially. As a new venture they have a clear vision and idea of what they want to be and how they want to help their clients.  

The organisation aims to help create and sustain working pods of business owners and is positioned as a premium service and key investment in developing the clients’ businesses. Each group will consist of six members and over a period of eighteen months they are coached and mentored to build trust in the group, work through the different problems they face as business leaders. They are ultimately equipped to self-manage the group after those initial eighteen months have passed.

Brief

We were approached to help form and create The Success Syndicate’s visual identity. Exploration of their brand values and target customers had taken place beforehand, so we were given a crystal clear idea of key values they needed to convey through their visual identity. As well as some of the practical aspects of what the organisation represents—groups of six diverse individuals—they also required the identity to demonstrate a concern for holistic improvement for members and their businesses.

Process

To kick off development for the visual identity, style boards were generated from preliminary research into existing brands and imagery that fit a similar set of values and marketplace to that which the brand is targeting.

This gave our client clear visual references for the direction to explore through initial sketching as well as providing a starting point for the discussion of the colour palette. Initial feedback determined the direction and use of abstract shapes and symbols alongside a sans serif font in order to create a modern, approachable, but corporate aesthetic.We began the rapid ideation process with abstract shapes, either used to create hexagons or as six-sided shapes, in order to link to the six person working pods.

Client feedback identified two particular design concepts to explore, both using six separate arrow segments of different shapes and sizes. These symbolised the forward looking ideals of the group, which strives for improvement and success whilst also embracing inclusion and teamwork as well as the support of its members. 

The segments concept also provides flexibility and continuation of the brand application where used individually as graphic elements. From basic bullet points and background watermarks, to developing patterns, textures and framing devices, the segments are versatile elements within the brand application. 

Concepts were limited to two designs alongside a variety of type styles. Initial focus is kept to the concept forms through the use of a black and white palette. This helps our clients to first focus purely on the form and shape of the logo before then being able to give some more detailed feedback on colour palettes.

Refined to a single concept, colour exploration is developed further based on client feedback and insights, before the final detailed refinement is carried out.

Final solution

The final solution chosen was an irregular starburst design, created by a configuration of six uneven arrow heads congregated around a centre point. The palette includes a range of colours around a primary navy blue; which is generally used as a colour that represents trust. The rest of the palette is restrained enough to not become too evocative of a rainbow as this would create a more juvenile aesthetic, however there is still enough diversity in the shades of colour that each arrowhead has its own distinct appearance, maintaining a vibrancy and distinct energy for each arrow element.

The final shape represents the structure of ‘The Success Syndicate’ programme model whilst invoking the energy and potential of collaboration between business owners and how they can support each other to make new and exciting progress in both their businesses and their personal lives.