Market expansion through brand cohesion
Designing a cohesive visual identity and digital presence to support Salt Athletic's expansion into new markets.
This summer, Salt was expanding its reach beyond soccer.
I had the opportunity to work across several projects and teams as a designer. From market research, to program audits, advertisement design, campaigns, developing a design guide for physical products and eventually creating a refreshed brand guide that encapsulates the brand's vision.
All of these efforts worked towards unifying the brand's visual design as it expands further into the sports market.
Achievements
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Creating a cohesive visual identity Shipped a unified product and brand guide that's now in use across partners, manufacturers, and the team.
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Driving expansion through research Led market research that shaped product decisions and go-to-market strategy for Salt's expansion into new markets (cycling, golf, rugby).
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Doubling ambassador program growth An ambassador audit that identified opportunities and led to the program doubling in size by thousands.
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Scaling reach and revenue Designed 80+ static ads and campaign visuals that drove hundreds of thousands of views and contributed to 50% YoY revenue growth. Partners included Soulcycle, NSP Soccer, ECNL.
The challenge
Brand interpretation varied by team, with about three design documents in use and no unified guidelines. The CEO often had to consult partners, manufacturers, and the team to align on the brand's vision and tone.
Three design documents in rotation, versus a unified brand guide.
Understanding elegant minimalism
In order to accurately design for the brand we needed to understand its core pillars. Working under direction of the CEO we compiled a moodboard that set the basis and tone for Salt's visual language.
Final design documents
Examples in usage
Full writeup in progress — more sections, process details, and deliverables coming soon