Houlihan Lokey is a global investment bank with a modern edge
Houlihan Lokey is a leading global investment bank with expertise in mergers & acquisitions. Working with their existing logo we created a visual design system with a vast library of graphic motifs and applications. Clean, modern graphics pair nicely with images of their worldwide locations. The dynamic and flexible system works across all marketing touchpoints from the website to social media.
Shapes found inside the “trinity” globe were used to create flowing waves, currents, halftone patterns and geometric and dimensional motifs. By using the DNA from the logo itself, the visual identity feels like a cohesive system and creates an abstract depiction of intangible financial concepts.
Using Houlihan Lokey’s existing brand color palette, we extended it by adding tints of the primary colors. Seen in the various graphic motifs and gradients, it helps create a depth and sophistication to their otherwise corporate colors.
The visual system allows for endless ways of combining the design elements in unique ways so that any piece of corporate communication looks and feels like it comes from Houlihan Lokey.
LinkedIn is the primary social media platform Houlihan Lokey uses for posting news. We created a library of custom, branded posts for various things like deal announcements, market report downloads and new hires around the globe.
Nature photography of mountains, bridges, roads, oceans and rivers are a great way to illustrate the ideas of global market fluctuations and increasing wealth. It’s also a nice juxtaposition to the clean lines of data charts and M&A bank information.
Working with Houlihan Lokey’s in-house developers, we designed the website to combine the graphics and majestic imagery to present their detailed information and global rankings charts in a clean, concise way that’s easy to navigate.
Deliverables:
- Visual Design System
- Extended Color Palette
- Website Design
- Social Media Design
- Collateral Design
BLDG25 experience design
technology / brand identity / website
BLDG25 is where game design meets behavioral science to deliver tech solutions
BLDG25 combines a background in creative game design with deep roots in enterprise product management to solve tomorrow’s big business challenges through customized software. We designed the identity to reflect both behavioral science and technology, allowing the viewer to interpret it on their own terms. It’s a play on opposites: light and dark, science and art, data analytics and creativity, innovation and practicality.
On the surface, the mark is an abstract number 25. The use of positive/negative lines bisected down the middle represents the left/right brain. It’s also an eye representing vision, insight and intelligence. A logo stinger animation really brings this idea to life.
The use of mesh-like motifs is an homage to their gaming DNA, imagination and flexibility. Waves and spheres represent the transformational nature of their products, a paradigm shift that pulls the viewer into new and unexpected worlds.
Custom icons were designed to help describe intangible business concepts. Branded powerpoint templates were created using a vast library of icons, motifs and infographics for use by the BLDG25 team.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Visual System + Icons
- Web Design + Development
- Motion Graphics
- Collateral
A clean, responsive website describes the complexity of what BLDG25 does using immersive motion graphics, scroll effects and parallax infographics to draw the viewer in.
QORE Investment Advisory
Finance / Brand Identity / Visual System
QORE is adding more value
to investment gold
QORE is a Swiss-based precious metals and investment advisory formed by world-renowned gold experts. Over the last decade, they’ve developed new standards in design, technology, and marketing to modernize investment gold. The new brand identity reflects their core values of quality, creativity, innovation and infinite discovery through this precious metal.
The mark is composed of three symbols that echo sacred geometry and have a guild-like quality. Geometric shapes like triangles, circles and lines can be pulled out to configure endless motifs and supergraphics that extend the brand’s visual system.
AU: Periodic Table
Phi: Symbol for Golden Ratio
Q: Qore
High-end business cards were printed using ColorPlan duplexed grey papers, letterpress and an embossed gold foil logo that feels like a gold coin. Matching Classic Crest Antique Gray and Gold Foil envelopes and letterhead round out the stationery suite.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Visual System
- Print Collateral
- Web Design
- Copywriting
A bilingual, single page website tells the story of what QORE has to offer using smart copy and collaged imagery. Animations of the logo and icons, paired with parallax layers adds a unique, modernist touch.
A Brand Styleguide outlines rules for logo lock-ups, color formulas, typography, how to work with graphic motifs and photography.
University of California IGCC
education / brand identity / website
IGCC conducts research on global social science conflicts and cooperation
University of California Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation–or UC IGCC–bridges the academic and policy worlds and conducts social science research on topics such as international security, geoeconomics, the future of democracy and the environment. They wanted to redesign and modernize their dated brand identity and website and separate them from the University of California’s brand look and feel.
Using the “rays” from inside the mark as a graphic motif to help depict the idea of “illumination” on to challenging topics. The motif becomes a positive “light” overlapping intense photography. Motifs can be used on any marketing materials from blog posts to presentation covers to social media.
A responsive WordPress website was built to present their vast archive of content in a new way that was easy to use. It needed to feel modern and feature related experts and content on each page.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Styleguide
- Visual System
- Website Design
- Web Development
Qualcomm Institute
technology / brand refresh / website
Qualcomm Institute jumpstarts innovation with technology and research
The Qualcomm Institute (QI) is a nonprofit research organization bringing together teams from all different cutting-edge technologies at UC San Diego. Founded in 2000, QI wanted to keep their existing mark, but refresh the visual identity and color palette to feel separate from the University of California’s yellow and blue branding. We started with an updated logo lock-up that feels cleaner, more organized-looking and easier to read.
A visual system of graphic motifs was created using the circle and wave from the QI mark as the main geometry. Various color combinations create hero banners for the website and blog.
Working with the existing UC San Diego brand colors, we focused on the turquoise, stone and cool gray and added teal for a monochromatic look. The feeling is both confident and contemporary.
After an extensive site audit and wireframing phase, we completely redesigned their existing website. The result is well organized, easy to navigate and incorporates the new color palette.
Deliverables:
- Brand Refresh
- Visual System
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Content Creation
Caprock wealth management
finance / brand identity / website
Caprock is a family office company rethinking wealth and impact investing
Caprock is a leader in managing family wealth with their personalized, hands-on approach. Pioneers in the impact investing space, they wanted to modernize their identity and create a cohesive visual system. To revitalize this decade-old brand, we started with a monogram “C” that’s always moving forward and speaks to financial growth and flexibility.
We kept their existing Navy and added copper to the color palette. Everything is printed on Colorplan patriot blue card stock, stamped with copper metallic foil that matches the color of shiny, new pennies. The arrows from the wordmark are used to create a visual system of forward-thinking patterns, motifs and icons.
A Brand Styleguide keeps the identity cohesive by outlining rules for the logo, typography, color palette and graphic motifs.
A customized, responsive website tells the story of Caprock using layered parallax graphics, immersive imagery and smart copy that gives a modern take on financial services.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Visual System
- Website Design
- Print Collateral
- Promotional Items
Bluegiant productions
media / brand identity / web / print
Bluegiant productions gets a stellar and polished Mid-century modern rebrand
As one of many LA-based film production companies, Bluegiant wanted to stand out and show their stylish and creative side. The proposed identity evokes a Mid-century modern style with geometric shapes harnessing a “blue giant” star. The look and feel combines black, dark colors and cyan with outer space, astronauts and vintage spaceship imagery that evokes style and charm.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Visual System
- Print Collateral Design
- Web Design
- Web Development
- Content Creation
A set of 12 patterns made out of circles and triangles taken from the main mark were printed on Luxe MOO business cards for the entire team. Letting clients choose their own design becomes a fun conversation starter.
Bluegiant ran with our creative direction idea for a team photoshoot by wearing vintage astronaut suits to show everyone’s personality. Zoom out and zoom in shots were used for the people page on the website.
A brochure site showcases Bluegiant’s work with fun animations, edgy copy, a video reel and space-related imagery throughout.
Echo Capital Group
finance / brand identity / collateral
Echo Capital Group is an investment firm for Millennial entrepreneurs
Located in Denver and Los Angeles, Echo Capital Group is an Investment Firm for Millennial entrepreneurs in the Consumer Packaged Goods space. They wanted a brand identity that reflected their forward-thinking edge while maintaining a very professional image. The Avant-garde feeling stays away from “echo cliches” and gives them a unique presence in the financial industry.
Simple shapes and unique colors create the repeating ECHO letterforms in the name, while the circles and squares lend themselves naturally to a system of patterns and icons. Together the visual identity feels like data, bar graphs or sums.
The responsive website utilizes scroll activated HTML5 animations, smart copy and immersive, entrepreneurial imagery colorized using the brand color palette.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Visual System
- Print Collateral
- Web Design
- Animated Icons
- Copywriting
Soren West productions
arts & media / brand identity / print
Soren West creates experiential content, immersive events and entertainment
Soren produces immersive events and visual experiences, and manages a roster of creative directors and technology artists that are pioneering experiential brand communications for big brands. Soren’s brand identity is as unique and playful as his roster of artists, starting with an artistic “S” monogram made out of quarter circles that connect in different ways.
Quarter circles from the wordmark are always moving and create a “messy modernism” visual style. Patterns are creative and versatile, with endless animation and collateral possibilities. A series of business cards cleverly uses different designs that become a conversation starter in meetings.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Visual System
- Website Design
- Web Development
- Print Collateral
Shortly after the single page website went live we created a brochure site to help establish Soren West as a new production company. The half circle patterns were animated as thin lines to create an experience as unique as his projects.
Indiegogo
technology / brand identity / website
Indiegogo are pioneers in the crowdfunding space with a global reach
In 2012, Indiegogo wanted to take their brand to the next level of polish. Influenced by their brand essence of personal empowerment and global inspiration, we used multi-colored, interwoven shapes to evoke the collaborative and multicultural nature of the platform. All aspects of the visual identity were designed to give Indiegogo an inviting and approachable appeal.
The heart shapes converge toward a center point, symbolizing the passion people have about pursuing and funding their own ideas.
A set of icons in the Indiegogo color palette were created to represent different services or actionable buttons. The website uses a skeuomorphic design style to show unique campaign pages, donation counters and the campaign creation process.
Deliverables:
- Brand Identity
- Brand Guidelines
- Visual System
- Website Design
- Copywriting
