Repurposing Catalyst’s Identity Design
When our eco-conscious client reimagined their business, we reused their brand identity, instead of trashing it
In the world of startups, things don’t always go exactly as planned. Actually, they almost never go as planned. Unforeseen challenges are dealt with as the organization grows and adapts, but in some cases a team may decide that their model for success isn’t going to work and they need to pivot. That was the case for a recent client of ours named Catalyst Resourcing Foundation.
They were a well-intentioned, highly skilled and experienced group of professionals looking to make an impact on the climate crisis. We helped them with a new logo, identity design and assets to get them started. Unfortunately, logistical challenges and the current job market made it difficult to execute on their plan. So their co-founder Jackie Morton decided to take the business in a different direction and came back to us with a question: Could we repurpose the work we had created for the original foundation for a new business venture? Here’s how it went.
Original concept
Catalyst’s mission was to support innovation projects in the climate crisis space. They did this by connecting talented people who would like to contribute their skills with projects that are looking for help. Acting as a facilitator, they would vet projects and professionals to find good matches and speed this process along. This in turn would help accelerate the progress of solutions to the climate-crisis fight.
The logo design solution we arrived at focused on growth, movement and support directed towards the planet. The colour palette helped to further push the dynamic feel and reflect the fresh approach the foundation takes to the climate crisis. Clean, bold typography established the professional look and feel required to impress potential funders.
We also developed a small identity guide, slide deck template and website for the project. Imagery was chosen to reflect the beauty and power of nature combined with different perspectives of modern, climate-related science and technology. These assets expanded on logo and typography, working with textures, layout and strategic content to bring the brand to life.
Drawing parallels
Catalyst still wanted to work with professionals in the climate crisis space, but in a different way. With the new direction, they would be providing specialized support in the areas of Trauma and Neuro-informed coaching. So the question was — did the original brand work with the new approach? Were we forcing a square peg into a round hole?
After several discussions, some factors helped us agree that it could work:
- The concepts of growth, movement, and support are staying at the core of the new mission.
- People involved in the climate crisis fight are still at the core of the business.
- The original Catalyst start-up had not had significant reach yet, so brand recognition was minimal.
- With some adjustments and testing, we felt the primary Catalyst icon still made sense to us as a brand and the colours still aligned with the focus on climate-related issues.
We moved ahead with the design re-purpose approach and started looking at where adjustments would need to be made.
Diverging needs
Although connected in many ways, there were some key differences on both the conceptual and technical side:
- The new name was longer and used a hyphenated word that posed challenges within the logo structure. We spent time exploring options that could work with this new lettering challenge. We also ended up swapping the vertical for the horizontal layout as the primary logo, which allowed a more legible subheading at small sizes.
- The new direction was more intimate and focused on the journey of the individual and the support the coach provides. We focused on selecting new imagery that better reflected these ideas.
- We also felt the profile images of the remaining team members, Jackie and her thought-partner Abi, were important to be front and center so that visitors to the site could relate with them more directly. Trust and human connection would play a key role in the success of the marketing assets.
- For launch, the website could be simplified to a single page, giving easy access to information and leaving room to expand in the future.
Thoughts on the Integrity of a Design
As professionals we must always balance the needs of clients with our own set of values. We want to make sure anything we put out in the world is of the highest quality and serves the client in the best way possible. Re-using a design could be seen as a shortcut or a hit on the integrity of our design process. We could also look at it from the angle of losing out on income by not going through a full redesign. We absolutely thought about these factors before deciding to move forward.
In this case we felt there was legitimate value for both the client and ourselves. The client is getting a design that serves their needs correctly, we aren’t compromising our values, and we have built a stronger relationship with Catalyst. A bonus is that a design concept we are proud of continues to live on in the world.
The next time this same request is made by a different client, they may not be as lucky and we may need to recommend a different approach. Specific factors need to align to make it work. The important thing is to be open and consider all options when starting a new engagement.
Conclusion
Not all start-ups succeed, even with the greatest of intentions. That doesn’t mean an entire brand identity always needs to be retired with it. By repurposing a brand that already existed, we were able to focus on the details that made the new direction unique and help a client keep their valued brand assets mostly the same. This saved them time and money, allowing visual designs to live on.
Certainly, in our case we were lucky that the original visuals fit so well with the new mission, which we know won’t always be the case. The point is not to force it, but consider the option instead of immediately proposing a brand new identity. Consider the needs of your client and also the value in building a long term partnership with them. In the rare case that it works out, your resourcefulness will be greatly appreciated, building a better relationship for future ventures together.
Four Nine is a full-service Digital Agency located in Vancouver. We partner with your business to create digital experiences that make lives better. Learn more about us by visiting our website or contact us at info@fournine.digital.
