Brand Refresh
Brand Identity, Art Direction, Graphic Design
Education Credit Union with Kearley & Company
Context
The client, a Texas Panhandle-based credit union, needed a refreshed, modernized brand identity that could more effectively support marketing goals. I had the opportunity to lead this project and played a crucial role in its execution. My contributions included conducting competitor and market research; developing color palette options; creating visual standards, including an icon library, imagery guidelines, and design elements and motifs; owning the art direction and design of how the brand identity would be executed across multiple channels; creating an updated brand guide; and assisting in the pitch to the client.
The previous brand identity was visually restrictive, including a limited color palette, flat design, and a minimal selection of outdated design motifs. As I developed the refreshed brand identity, I prioritized striking the right balance between old and new that would allow the client to maintain its well-earned brand equity while also bringing a more modern and versatile look. While the credit union has roots in serving the education community, its current membership is open to anyone who lives, works, worships, or attends school in the Texas Panhandle. With this in mind, I developed a refreshed brand identity that included an expanded color palette that pay homage to the legacy red and green colors but offer increased options for compelling and ADA compliant design; a selection of design elements that that are referential to education and to the logo without being explicit or overstated; and an evolution of previously used doodles into consistent, adaptable doodle patterns that provide additional opportunities to add textural depth to designs.
Before
After
As the refreshed brand identity was executed across channels, I spearheaded changing how the team approached the client’s quarterly product marketing campaigns on social media. To create social content that was more compelling, relatable, and sharable, I led the shift from hard-sell static graphics to lifestyle and benefits-focused carousels and reels, resulting in increased engagement and product signups.
Brand Identity: Christine Marquez // Art Direction: Christine Marquez // Copywriting: Jay Overstreet // Graphic Design: Christine Marquez + Daniel Buenger + Jonathan Patterson