Visual brand for a beloved travel organizing app gets upgraded
Summary
As Head of Brand Design, I led a rebranding project for TripIt, a travel organizing app, addressing its dated visual identity and feature-centric communication.
The goal was a modern, cohesive brand that could effectively scale with a small team and a popular product that had future goals for globalization.
Contribution
- Role – Head of Brand Design
- Brand Identity Development
- Cross-functional Team Collaboration
- Art Direction & Agency Management
- Visual Identity System Development
The TripIt Commercial showcasing the new visual brand and messaging.
Project Challenge
The existing brand faced a significant challenge beyond its visual appearance.
The company’s culture was rooted in a traditional approach, primarily focused on showcasing product features through (often) our-of-date product screenshots visuals. By utilizing actual screens from the product required the small marketing team to always make sure everything in their branding was their newest release.
Convincing stakeholders to embrace a new direction required not only transforming the brand visually but also instigating a cultural shift within the organization. This involved altering the mindset from a feature-centric model to one centered around user benefits and experiences.
The challenge was not just about rebranding visually but also about reshaping the internal culture to align with a more user-centric and modern approach.
Project Approach
Illustrative Branding Strategy
Embraced an illustrative branding strategy for scalability and enhanced creative freedom in visual communication. This approach not only addressed team constraints but also minimized reliance on outdated screenshots, ensuring a dynamic representation of the product.Building Stakeholder Consensus
Conducted competitive research, showcasing successful SaaS brands that embraced illustrations. This not only aligned with our audience but also served as a catalyst for a mindset shift in how we communicated the product, gaining crucial stakeholder support..Visual Design System
Developed a concise visual design system structured around trip planning, in-trip experience, and post-trip organization. This streamlined approach ensured consistency, with a focus on equity and inclusion in illustrations to reflect our diverse user base and support global expansion.
Project Outcome
The rebrand resulted in a remarkable 10% increase in overall session visits and new user signups, indicating a positive shift in user engagement.
Beyond these metrics, the impact extended to the core user experience within the app. By integrating the illustrative branding within the product, users experienced a more cohesive journey from marketing channels to the app itself. This alignment not only modernized the look but also enhanced the in-app experience, fostering a consistent and visually appealing brand presence throughout the user’s interaction with TripIt.
The transformation from a feature-first to a benefit-centric communication strategy played a pivotal role, ensuring that users not only understood the functionalities but also recognized the tangible benefits provided by the app during their travel experiences.
More Projects
TripIt Website Redesign
Thought Leader Brand Redesign
Misc Design Projects