Project: Tusk Strategies, Rebrand
Role: Team Lead, branding and visuals
Duration: February 2022 – April 2022 (my finalized logo concepts); April 2022 – August 2022 (Teal Media's website launch)
In 2022, I had the incredible opportunity to reimagine Tusk Strategies' logo and brand identity. This project was a true labor of love, involving months of research and competitive analysis to create a logo that not only stands out but also stands the test of time. I designed Tusk's first official employee handbook and brand style guide as well.
We also had the pleasure of teaming up with Teal Media, an inspiring woman-owned creative agency based in Washington, DC. The Teal team crafted a sleek and modern website that perfectly complements the new brand.
The goal was all about crafting a unique voice and a strong brand identity for Tusk. I embarked on a creative journey, designing a fresh logo, vibrant color palette, sleek company documents, versatile templates, and a dynamic website. This transformation also mirrored Tusk's internal evolution, highlighting new practices, welcoming new clients, and showcasing the talents of our growing team.
1. To create an edgy, timeless, and iconic logo that stands out against the competition and is easily recognizable.
2. Work with Teal Media to redesign the Tusk Strategies website on a five month timeline.
Old Logo and Website
The logo concepts I developed aim to visualize and bring Tusk's leading insights to life. Through color, typography, and tone, I sought to convey the tenacious, innovative, and fearless campaigning spirit that Tusk consistently embodies. Additionally, I highlighted the intersectionality, collaboration, and creativity that are fundamental to Tusk's culture. This new logo represents a comprehensive picture of Tusk Strategies.
This logo direction draws inspiration from Piet Mondrian's 1930 painting Composition with Red, Blue, and Yellow. The abstract colors symbolize Tusk's diverse range of clients, past, present, and future, while the lines represent the art of communicating complex ideas in a sublime manner. This design also pays homage to Tusk's New York City roots, emphasizing key themes of connectivity, balance, intelligence, and strength. The vibrant colors and dynamic contrasts reflect the energy and diversity of Tusk's client portfolio, creating a visually striking palette that stands out in any crowd.
Logo:
Movement to communicate agility and relentlessness
Unity to communicate collaboration and care
Balance to communicate smarts
Typography:
Sleek lines and curves to communicate smarts, value, and innovation
Powerful and impactful weight to draw and demand attention
Color:
Using blues, yellows, reds, and grays to symbolize policy and democracy, victory, and comprehensive perspectives
We conducted a thorough analysis of our competitors, identifying key differentiators that enable them to excel in their respective markets.
Key highlights:
Strong political connections
Impactful creative work
Financial communications and crypto clients
Round 1 Competitive Landscape
Round 1 Moodboard
Round 1 Concepts
Round 2 Concepts
Round 2 Mockups
Round 3 Concepts
Throughout the first three rounds, we honed in on the foundational logomark we had envisioned. In round three, we experimented with a more inviting color palette of blues and explored various creative directions. After exchanging feedback, we decided to revert to the red, blue, and yellow logomark because it stood out for its uniqueness, memorability, and distinctiveness from competitors' branding and style.
In round four, I developed additional concepts to test against our preferred design. Ultimately, I refined the curves and intersections of the logomark (option 3 below) and adjusted the leading between the characters in the typeface, perfecting the overall design.
Option 1 Moodboard
Option 1 Concepts
Option 2 Concepts
Option 3 Moodboard
Option 3 Concepts
Option 4 Moodboard
Option 4 Mockups
X
This project was a huge milestone in my design career. It was the first time I had full autonomy over the creative direction and vision for a complete rebrand. I’m incredibly grateful to the Tusk team for giving me the time, resources, and budget needed to make this happen.
Of course, there were challenges along the way, but striving to create a timeless logo inspired by Piet Mondrian made the journey so rewarding. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to the team at Teal Media for their exceptional work on the new website.