Challenge
The rebranding and design system creation project was full of challenges. First, there was the task of uncovering and redefining Equipboard’s brand identity in a way that resonated with their audience while standing out in a competitive market. We needed to create a cohesive brand narrative and visual language that could be consistently applied across various touchpoints. Another challenge was ensuring that the new design system was flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes, yet robust enough to provide a unified experience across our platform.
Some of the constraints included working within a tight timeline and budget, which necessitated efficient resource management and prioritization of key elements. We also faced the challenge of integrating the new design system seamlessly into our existing platform without disrupting the current user experience. Additionally, the need to maintain accessibility and inclusivity standards required careful consideration during the design process.
Discovering the Brand’s Identity
The brand guidelines were designed to be a practical tool for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear instructions on how to apply the brand elements in various contexts and adopt consistent design language. I created 32 pages of brand guideline presentation to ensured that the brand maintained a cohesive and recognizable identity across all communications and marketing materials.
During the brainstorming session, we decided to retain the orange color because it embodies the essence of the brand—energetic, creative, warm, youthful, optimistic, adventurous, and attention-grabbing. We also explored various brand attributes and ultimately defined Equipboard's brand identity as a blend of innovation, community, and passion for music. This new identity will be reflected in the visual and verbal elements of the brand, including the logo, typography, color palette, and overall design language.
Discovering the Brand’s Identity
The brand guidelines were designed to be a practical tool for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear instructions on how to apply the brand elements in various contexts and adopt consistent design language. I created 32 pages of brand guideline presentation to ensured that the brand maintained a cohesive and recognizable identity across all communications and marketing materials.
During the brainstorming session, we decided to retain the orange color because it embodies the essence of the brand—energetic, creative, warm, youthful, optimistic, adventurous, and attention-grabbing. We also explored various brand attributes and ultimately defined Equipboard's brand identity as a blend of innovation, community, and passion for music. This new identity will be reflected in the visual and verbal elements of the brand, including the logo, typography, color palette, and overall design language.
Discovering the Brand’s Identity
The brand guidelines were designed to be a practical tool for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear instructions on how to apply the brand elements in various contexts and adopt consistent design language. I created 32 pages of brand guideline presentation to ensured that the brand maintained a cohesive and recognizable identity across all communications and marketing materials.
During the brainstorming session, we decided to retain the orange color because it embodies the essence of the brand—energetic, creative, warm, youthful, optimistic, adventurous, and attention-grabbing. We also explored various brand attributes and ultimately defined Equipboard's brand identity as a blend of innovation, community, and passion for music. This new identity will be reflected in the visual and verbal elements of the brand, including the logo, typography, color palette, and overall design language.
Discovering the Brand’s Identity
The brand guidelines were designed to be a practical tool for internal and external stakeholders, providing clear instructions on how to apply the brand elements in various contexts and adopt consistent design language. I created 32 pages of brand guideline presentation to ensured that the brand maintained a cohesive and recognizable identity across all communications and marketing materials.
During the brainstorming session, we decided to retain the orange color because it embodies the essence of the brand—energetic, creative, warm, youthful, optimistic, adventurous, and attention-grabbing. We also explored various brand attributes and ultimately defined Equipboard's brand identity as a blend of innovation, community, and passion for music. This new identity will be reflected in the visual and verbal elements of the brand, including the logo, typography, color palette, and overall design language.
Creating the Logo
Equipboard wanted a simple logomark that is both modern and timeless, reflecting the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation. The final logo design incorporated musical elements like the keyboard keys, play button, guitar pick and the letter E for Equipboard. The logomark was paired with a clean, contemporary typeface to create a memorable and versatile expression. The logo was designed to work well in both light and dark modes, ensuring versatility across different contexts. We also created various logo sizes and formats to accommodate different applications, from website headers to mobile app icons.
Laying the foundations
Typography and icon language
The typography system is structured into scales, including display, heading, text, and label. Display and heading are used for larger text, such as titles, while text is intended for body content, and label is reserved for smaller tags. We chose Inter as the primary typeface due to its readability and accessibility, paired with a secondary typeface, Space Mono for tags and hyperlinks. Typography variables are linked to text styles, ensuring that changes can be easily implemented across multiple projects for mobile and desktop modes. Over 100 Icon components were are named and described by keywords for easy search.
Buttons and components
Developing buttons and components from scratch involved creating a consistent set of UI elements and responsiveness with auto layout, constraints, layouts & grids enabled. We designed buttons with clear visual cues for different states (e.g., default, hover, active, disabled) and ensured that they were easily distinguishable and accessible. Components such as forms, modals, and navigation elements were designed with a focus on usability and consistency, adhering to the established design principles and guidelines.
Accessibility for Growth
Dark and light modes
Designing for both dark and light modes was crucial for enhancing user experience and accessibility. I developed 177 color variables that included primary, secondary, and accent colors to be used in both modes. The dark mode was designed to reduce eye strain and improve readability in low-light environments, while the light mode focused on providing a clean and bright interface for daytime use. Color variables are assigned so they can be toggled between with a single click in Figma.
Optimized for customization
The design system is fully tokenized using Figma's Variables feature, enabling customizable and synchronized colors and numbers with the development team. Auto Layout ensures components adjust automatically for any device or screen size, and Properties and Variants make maintenance and customization straightforward.
Color Variables are divided into Primitive and Semantic collections, enhancing design flexibility and consistency. Number Variables standardize spacing, sizing, and corner radius, ensuring uniformity across designs.
Auto Layout and Auto Layout Wrap are applied to components, allowing seamless resizing and dynamic behavior in both vertical and horizontal directions, with Max & Min Sizing for precise control over component dimensions.
Grid & Layout styles are available for every breakpoint and resizing behavior, and Variants are used for components with multiple types, states, and sizes.
Exposed nested instances create easy customization of nested elements within complex components, and Properties make component customization quick and intuitive during design.
Interactive components enable instant prototyping interactions, making the design process advance faster.
Accessibility for Growth
Dark and light modes
Designing for both dark and light modes was crucial for enhancing user experience and accessibility. I developed 177 color variables that included primary, secondary, and accent colors to be used in both modes. The dark mode was designed to reduce eye strain and improve readability in low-light environments, while the light mode focused on providing a clean and bright interface for daytime use. Color variables are assigned so they can be toggled between with a single click in Figma.
Optimized for customization
The design system is fully tokenized using Figma's Variables feature, enabling customizable and synchronized colors and numbers with the development team. Auto Layout ensures components adjust automatically for any device or screen size, and Properties and Variants make maintenance and customization straightforward.
Color Variables are divided into Primitive and Semantic collections, enhancing design flexibility and consistency. Number Variables standardize spacing, sizing, and corner radius, ensuring uniformity across designs.
Auto Layout and Auto Layout Wrap are applied to components, allowing seamless resizing and dynamic behavior in both vertical and horizontal directions, with Max & Min Sizing for precise control over component dimensions.
Grid & Layout styles are available for every breakpoint and resizing behavior, and Variants are used for components with multiple types, states, and sizes.
Exposed nested instances create easy customization of nested elements within complex components, and Properties make component customization quick and intuitive during design.
Interactive components enable instant prototyping interactions, making the design process advance faster.
Accessibility for Growth
Dark and light modes
Designing for both dark and light modes was crucial for enhancing user experience and accessibility. I developed 177 color variables that included primary, secondary, and accent colors to be used in both modes. The dark mode was designed to reduce eye strain and improve readability in low-light environments, while the light mode focused on providing a clean and bright interface for daytime use. Color variables are assigned so they can be toggled between with a single click in Figma.
Optimized for customization
The design system is fully tokenized using Figma's Variables feature, enabling customizable and synchronized colors and numbers with the development team. Auto Layout ensures components adjust automatically for any device or screen size, and Properties and Variants make maintenance and customization straightforward.
Color Variables are divided into Primitive and Semantic collections, enhancing design flexibility and consistency. Number Variables standardize spacing, sizing, and corner radius, ensuring uniformity across designs.
Auto Layout and Auto Layout Wrap are applied to components, allowing seamless resizing and dynamic behavior in both vertical and horizontal directions, with Max & Min Sizing for precise control over component dimensions.
Grid & Layout styles are available for every breakpoint and resizing behavior, and Variants are used for components with multiple types, states, and sizes.
Exposed nested instances create easy customization of nested elements within complex components, and Properties make component customization quick and intuitive during design.
Interactive components enable instant prototyping interactions, making the design process advance faster.
Accessibility for Growth
Dark and light modes
Designing for both dark and light modes was crucial for enhancing user experience and accessibility. I developed 177 color variables that included primary, secondary, and accent colors to be used in both modes. The dark mode was designed to reduce eye strain and improve readability in low-light environments, while the light mode focused on providing a clean and bright interface for daytime use. Color variables are assigned so they can be toggled between with a single click in Figma.
Optimized for customization
The design system is fully tokenized using Figma's Variables feature, enabling customizable and synchronized colors and numbers with the development team. Auto Layout ensures components adjust automatically for any device or screen size, and Properties and Variants make maintenance and customization straightforward.
Color Variables are divided into Primitive and Semantic collections, enhancing design flexibility and consistency. Number Variables standardize spacing, sizing, and corner radius, ensuring uniformity across designs.
Auto Layout and Auto Layout Wrap are applied to components, allowing seamless resizing and dynamic behavior in both vertical and horizontal directions, with Max & Min Sizing for precise control over component dimensions.
Grid & Layout styles are available for every breakpoint and resizing behavior, and Variants are used for components with multiple types, states, and sizes.
Exposed nested instances create easy customization of nested elements within complex components, and Properties make component customization quick and intuitive during design.
Interactive components enable instant prototyping interactions, making the design process advance faster.
