Slack- Visual identity process
I wanted to get a deeper understanding and knowledge of the process in creating a visual identity for a brand, and what better way to do so then a case study! I have researched Pentagram for previous projects and I am a huge fan of their work and the brand identities that they have created over the years and when I came across their brand identity work that they did for a brand named ‘Slack’ I just had to read more and research further into this project. I use Slack very often as a way to communicate with my lecturers and peers so immediately I was interested in their rebrand.
The designers process
Pentagram worked closely on the project with Slack founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield, the owner wanted an updated identity that could work consistently in different scales and contexts, they wanted a design that captures Slack’s software’s simplicity and ease of use. The image below is the teams exploration of the slack identity and they were exploring the various ways that they could succeed in this project and how they could keep the well known Slack’ hashtag in the identity but in a better way.
Iteration exploration
Here the designers have explored a wide range of possibilities for the new identity, they have created a range of iterations from options that ranged from connect-the-dots to more solid shapes. What I found really helpful about this image in particular is that I was able to see how they got to the final visual marque, I can see clearly in their process how their iterations and ideas evolved and grew. This reinforces to me how the design process and sketching and completing many iterations is the most vital part within the design process.
“The identity updates Slack’s familiar hashtag logo to work consistently in different scales and contexts.”
Final identity
The concept behind it
Pentagram’s idea derived from the original logo which was a hashtag but they adapted it by combining two basic geometric shapes—a speech bubble and lozenge. These shapes actually have symbolic meaning, the speech bubble evokes communication and connectivity, this adds to the emotional connection ability for the brand. These shapes will form the basis customized icons, illustrations and motifs with rounded corners that echo the shapes of the logo.
Colours
Pentagram updated Slack’s colour palette so it now features four primary colours. A big reason for this was to better users experience with the colours on screen, so they are nicer and more pleasant to view. The designers decided to keep Slack’s distinctive purple colour but use it for an accent colour. The new and improved colour palette makes Slack instantly recognisable especially against the white I think it makes it pop and breaks up the colours. I think that they have introduced a more refined colour palette that definitely looks much better on screen but it still retains the brand’s playful visual personality.
Design for advertising
The below image shows their design for advertising and I think that this is an important aspect to remember when I finish my brand identity, do I have a 5th element to include for advertising purposes? Can I use my visual marque for posters or adverts? Here, the Pentagram team have used the shapes from the visual marque and broken them up, adding different colours and removing the fill from some and adding a stroke around the shape. This adds a nice link to the visual marque but also adds another unique and individual style for advert purposes. The slight differences work well but it still makes sense and ties nicely with the other brand aspects, this clearly shows how the shapes of the logo can be used in a variety of ways and this has a high potential for a wide range of advertising usages.
What did I learn?
Over-all this was a great case study to read and research for my own personal brand, I have gained great inspiration for my own visual marque designs. I have learned that designers from every corner of the globe need to do many iterations and trials and experiment with different approaches and concepts in order to land on the right one for their brand. The process is the most important part when it comes to design and even the huge design companies and studios use the same techniques and approaches to complete a project. Exploration and experimenting with ideas at the beginning of a project is key!
Access the case study- here