ICT company Acknowledge translates IT issues into functional policy. In the fast-paced world of information technology, they offer creative solutions and services by collaborating meaningfully with a wide range of industries.
To match their ingenious, problem-solving operations, I was commissioned by Comaxx – a subsidiary of Acknowledge – to modernize the company’s brand, website and corporate communications.
Acknowledge has been offering cutting-edge IT solutions for over 25 years. While their approach has been ever-evolving, their brand wasn’t keeping up with their innovative approach. To modernize Acknowledge’s rather outdated corporate identity, I gave their company, website and brandbook a new customized look and feel.
Using Acknowlege’s core values – personal, reliable and flexible – as a starting point, I began developing a fresh and modern rebrand. I gave special focus to tailoring the design to meet Acknowledge’s personality, their partners’ and clients’ various needs. The finalized rebrand was then implemented throughout the new and improved website with its own custom-made WordPress backend.
Creating a brand starts with the exploration of the client’s expectations and wishes, while conceptualizing out-of-the-box ideas. To do this, I like to start by putting a cohesive brand board together. A brand board allows me to quickly visualize a path forward, but it also helps with pitching ideas to clients and aligning our ambitions.
A third advantage of using a brand board is that it allows the client to ‘test the waters’ before fully committing: clients can make a one-time investment in the brand board and pitch, and then can decide to continue the joint project or not.
Lastly, the ideas presented on brand boards can come in handy after the initial rebrand stage. Oftentimes, I end up using elements of the brand board when designing other forms of communication, like for instance the website.
With over 200 employees and many of them communicating Acknowledge’s mission in their own words, there was a clear need of guiding a consistent brand. I created a cohesive brand book to calibrate the team and help all internal stakeholders get on the same wavelength.
A brand book acts as a key document to guide employees in passing on a consistent message to their audiences – especially for those directly involved with communications. With their new brand book, Acknowledge is now armed with all the tools needed to produce on-brand content and further establish a recognizable and credible brand.
A brand book can be as comprehensive or concise as you want. The elements incorporated depend entirely on your company’s need, but generally include information on your brand identity, brand assets and their appropriate deployment.
I joined forces with Acknowledge’s marketing department to determine the best content for the website. We came up with the most important features during a content-outline session.
Mostly, the homepage had to convey a crystal-clear and engaging message of what Acknowledge has to offer. For this reason, I made the company’s corporate video and tagline center stage by putting it in the header.
Another focal point for the homepage was outlining Acknowledge’s six primary branches to help visitors quickly find the solution they came for. With the client’s wide range of expertise and partners, it was essential to navigate a clear path and encourage deeper browsing.
The previous website provided an overwhelming, and oftentimes wordy account of their IT solutions and services. To break away from the clutter and establish order, I outlined the company’s main categories and solutions. Each of these clearly defined categories was then broken down into sub-categories.
The website’s new structure is concise and its case-based explanations invites visitors to deep dive into the Acknowledge world and quickly find the right solution. The website now guides and encourages intuitive browsing, despite its comprehensive information.
In addition to customizing Acknowledge’s website design, I’ve tailored the WordPress site’s content management system (CMS) so that administrators can manage content quickly and consistently. The bespoke CMS makes managing the website far easier, streamlines content, and facilitates effortless maintenance.
As always, consistency proved to be the key in developing a fitting corporate identity, establishing proper brand guidelines, building a bespoke website and creating underlying and on-brand content.
The new design encompasses numerous content templates and formats, categories and technical features that furthers the brand’s growth and inspires customers to explore everything all of Acknowledge’s excellent services.
Marijn has passion for his profession. He is able to design award winning websites and does this by always keeping up with the latest design trends and technologies. A team player with a critical view on his own work and others, eager to coach junior and medior designers / developers. He presents his designs to clients with strong, convincing arguments.
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