Belief
By developing a holistic brand identity system that balances consistency and flexibility, we can unify the disparate internal GM CX Studio teams to signify and symbolize our new, unified methods of collaborative design.
Proof
Artifacts: Brand design guidelines, identity, presentation, and web design
Guidance: Brand strategy, digital brand expression, graphic design, logo design, visual communications
Clearing The Fog
GM's experience design teams theoretically share similar goals and principles of design—accessibility, clarity, consistency, harmony. This is, however, not represented through the identities of these teams. If anything, the complete opposite of these traits is represented by our teams' identities.
What is supposedly a highly adaptable, collaborative organization is essentially Lord of the Flies, but with design teams. To compound this highly negative design heuristic, there is a general lack of design quality in the teams' identities and visual communications.
Just a Few GM Organizational Brand Identities
Bringing Order to Chaos
To unify this highly fragmented design organization, we're going to design an identity framework that's flexible enough to visually separate our organization's individual design teams, but systematically consistent and cohesive enough in craft and quality to represent the organization's sea change in collaboratively elevating its levels of holistic design and development goals, intent, and ways of working.
We'll manifest these ideas and their possible avenues by thematically exploring how one of the teams (XLab) could be expressed through the various visual artifacts that consist of our teams' key organizational user touchpoints.
Department of Zero
Directional Ethos
GM CX Studio creates more insightful and innovative products for customers through GM's goals of zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion.
Department of Zero Logomark Options
Collaborative, Inquisitive, Transparent
The "Department of Zero" brand direction reflects an institutional, academic approach inspired by research departments and university labs. It features clean, authoritative design with contextual emphasis on expertise, and imagery showcasing our teams in a functional, collaborative manner.
• Serif headline typography
• Minimal color palette
• Simple, white paper-like graphics
Conceptual Presentation Deck Content
Conceptual Web Content
A Band Apart
Directional Ethos
GM CX Studio is a diverse, passionate group of creatives bringing vitality and enthusiasm to GM’s future experience design endeavors.
A Band Apart Logomark Options
Bold, Expressive, Vibrant
"A Band Apart" showcases the studio as a youthful, energetic organization that represents the company's digital-first approach to the customer experience. With vibrant colors, contemporary typography, and whimsical imagery, this direction is designed to inspire and energize teams.
• Playful typography
• Bold, vivid color palette
• Expressive, lively graphics
Conceptual Presentation Deck Content
Conceptual Web Content
The First Rule
Directional Ethos
GM CX Design Studio covertly works on improving the customer experience by utilizing design and research methods at the forefront of the industry zeitgeist.
The First Rule Logomark Options
Clandestine, Futuristic, Intriguing
"The First Rule" presents the organization as a skunkworks-like, future-forward group on the cutting edge of design and R&D. The dark, mysterious look and feel promotes the organization as one working in silence behind the scenes, working stealthily to innovate GM's experiences.
• Monospace typography
• Dark+neon color palette
• Terminal-inspired graphics
Conceptual Presentation Deck Content
Conceptual Web Content
Final Direction: The Insider
Directional Ethos
GM CX Studio is not simply a design organization, but a resource of information for GM and the industry’s designers, researchers, and more.
GM CX Studio Individual Team Logomarks
WCAG AAA Contrast Organizational Color Palette
Currently Established GM CX Studio Teams
How to Make a GM CX Studio Logo
Consistent, Flexible, Harmonious
Responding to stakeholder feedback, along with a new, updated ethos based on our primary userbase, an evolution of the Department of Zero design direction was created to align with this new strategy.
In this evolved user-oriented brand direction, GM CX Studio is not only an internal facing entity, but one with a strong online presence featuring content such as industry-relevant articles and design resources. Visual assets would be uniquely created for each piece of content by a designer. VisD would be designed for easily scannable consumption.
• Space Grotesk font from "A Band Apart" along with its variants
• Simple, accessible color palette with unique swatches for each team
• Loosely mid-century inspired logo design to more closely align with GM Design
Presentation Deck MVP
Web MVP
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