Wholesome, Charismatic but Never Glamorous

A company’s brand can oftentimes feel like a very mysterious and complex thing to pin down. There is the culture of a company, which dramatically effects how the brand is perceived. There is also what the marketing department is trying to portray through branded marketing tools. And then there are the products and/or services that are being sold which also play into the equation. If a company has put a priority on designing their culture, their products and services, and their marketing — all to be a cohesive experience — then they probably have something unique as far as brands are concerned.

For my team’s project — designing a website to connect animal lovers with pets at local shelters — I believe we had a fairly cohesive brand strategy on the outset of designing the product for this. We wanted to portray a sense of “wholesomeness” as it relates to doing good by rescuing animals who might not otherwise have access to a loving home. “Charismatic” was also a good description our brand in that it inspires charm and devotion felt in both animal lovers and the pets themselves. “But never glamorous” characterizes the grit and work required with this type of commitment for pet adopters and pet shelters.

There can be a strong bond formed between animal lovers and their pets, which we tried to convey in the headlines, colors, and photos used for our website. The colors are vibrant and little bit playful — definitely not stodgy. The copy is modeled after friendly personable conversations, without any pretense. And the photos are of pets that are so cute, most well-intentioned pet owners will feel inspired to overlook any shortcomings these critters may possess.

These characteristics are at the heart of a product designed to inspire the best part of ourselves to do something above and beyond for our furry friends — while encouraging pet shelter workers to keep up the good work.