Next to creating startup brands and websites, we also need to make time for our own needs—occasionally. That's why we recently launched our website with a new look and feel, focusing on content and interactions. Step behind the curtain and explore our new branding.
Every branding decision has a reason behind it
To start with, why did we actually rebrand? First, our rebranding is the result of a website overhaul. We deemed it necessary to enhance our web in a way that allows the user to fully focus on the content while experiencing a smooth and captivating flow led by subtle interactions. What was definite from the beginning was the concept for the rebranding of our web:
Content first, interactivity first.
So, the focus of our branding endeavors needed to be centered around interactiveness and user-centredness. It was clear that naming, logo, and layout wouldn't be altered; messaging, typography, imagery, and color wouldn't undergo severe changes; and animation would gain more attention. Most importantly, interactivity would be introduced as a new pillar of our web.
As every branding step has a reason behind it, CEO Jesus Coto emphasizes the importance of the decision:
“As a leading branding agency, we have a keen eye for recognizing when a brand could benefit from a refresh. Recently, we've made some subtle yet impactful changes to The Branx's branding. While our core messaging and most of our branding elements remain mostly the same, these modifications are designed to further elevate The Branx's standing. Our goal is to reinforce our position as the leading creative & branding agency for tech startups.”
In an industry where many agencies are echoing similar value propositions, our revitalized brand aims to assert our leadership.
“We're focusing on enhancing our quality and efficiency, rather than competing on price. In addition to this, it's a good way to celebrate our 5th birthday, I guess that's reason enough.”
Departing from our origins
As Jesus mentioned, 5 years ago in March 2019, our four co-founders signed the paperwork at the notary. “The Branx” was born. But where does our name come from?
Ines Haitzinger, Co-Founder and Marketing Lead, explains:
The Branx is the result of “brand” and “experience”.
“It connects to our mission to create unique, transformative brand experiences for startups. The 'x' in 'Branx' not only signifies the crossroads where branding and experience meet, but also adds a modern, edgy twist, making the name memorable and appealing to the innovative startups we target. The definite article 'the' adds a hero image to our name and infuses it with confidence and trust.”
A bumpy rebranding road
The whole rebranding process was a bumpy road, as Jesus emphasizes:
“It's often said that the cobbler's children have no shoes, a sentiment that rings true for us as we embark on the journey of rebranding ourselves. Typically, our expertise is utilized by external companies, but this time, we found ourselves in the unique position of being both the client and the service provider. This situation was a stark reminder of the importance of perspective, as we had to step back and view our brand from an outsider's point of view. The process of setting the brief was a challenging one, as we had to define the boundaries of our own creativity.”
While creativity is often seen as limitless, in this instance, the challenge was to determine our own limits and to work within them to create a brand that truly represents us.
Creativity is not a streamlined process, so wasn't our new branding. It has been a constant back and forth, trying to update our visual identity without parting too much from our roots. And this is the result.
The new look and feel of our web
While the pages and CMS structure of our website remained unchanged, a series of design modifications awaited translation into Webflow. This encompassed adjustments to colors and typefaces, removal of outdated sections, and incorporation of new elements, all based on the concept of “Content first, interactions first”. Across our revamped website, users encounter subtle yet captivating interactions and animations throughout.
Crafty details, maximized user experience
Smooth scrolling
When users land on our new homepage, they'll notice a seamless appearance of the main heading right at the top of the page. Across the web, text elements and case study cards are animated in synchronization with the user's scrolling, creating a visually engaging and cohesive journey through our content.
Compelling intro video
As users scroll down, they're greeted with a captivating preview of our Startup Branding Reel, which almost fills the entire screen. This feature provides a glimpse into our recent projects, encouraging visitors to explore further.
Magnetic buttons
Within the Startup Branding Reel, the call-to-action (CTA) button is animated. The button's attention-grabbing moving gradient effect, combined with its ability to follow the user's mouse within the video frame, adds an interactive and dynamic element that encourages user interaction.
Mouseover effects for texts
Throughout our website, we've implemented mouseover effects for texts to enhance engagement. When users hover over certain text elements, such as links to other pages, subtle color changes add dynamism and draw attention to important areas, elevating the overall user experience.
Appealing, but not overwhelming animations
We've incorporated subtle animations on the cards featuring our case studies. These animations serve to give tangible life to our projects, making them visually appealing without disrupting the flow of the user's journey through the website.
Enhanced, but branded navigation
Easy navigation is a key aspect of a website's design. The mega menu features a full-width dropdown of the navigation bar, allowing users to easily discover our services without having to leave the page. By showcasing branded illustrations alongside service names, we also reinforce our brand identity, creating a cohesive and immersive browsing experience.
From scrolling to trust
Supposedly, if users reach the very end of the homepage, they are open to learning more about The Branx. This is why we incorporated an additional element that provides trust: When performing an additional scroll at the end of the homepage, an interactive footer shows up, accessible on both desktop and mobile devices. This footer prominently displays our awards and recognitions, providing links to the respective sources, such as Clutch, and guiding users to explore further on our dedicated Awards and Recognitions page.
Typography, colors, and imagery: Adaptations for optimal impact
The web as the final product is the result of iterations on colors, typeface, and overall imagery style. All these elements come together to create the web experience we were looking for.
Introducing Safiro, our new typeface
Safiro is a unique sans-serif font, tailor-made by the foundry studio Atipo. Versatile in its styles, it exudes a professional, tech-savvy aura that resonates across all our brand touchpoints. So, we were able to cut down our use of fonts from two to one, which impacts positively on the loading time of our web.
Not everything is black and white, but we (mostly) prefer black
With our new color palette we introduced two major changes: now, Black is used predominantly to communicate a more premium, high-quality flair. Also, departing from our previous colors, we reached a metallic gradient representing solidity and growth and matching contemporary industry branding trends.
An AI camel as brand visual
While predominantly featuring our branding projects for presentations and communications, we've taken a meticulous approach to crafting header images for blog posts. Leveraging AI, these images are uniquely tailored to each article's content in an abstract manner, ensuring that every piece has its own distinct tone of voice.
Final thoughts
After what felt like an endless journey, we eventually achieved a result that met our expectations and requirements. It was about finding a compromise between leveling up, sticking to our roots, and making the most of time and resources.
Jesus points out what he admires most about our new look and feel:
“What I appreciate most is our shift towards a completely black theme, which lends us a more sophisticated and premium aura when necessary. However, as we often emphasize, branding isn't about a single element, but a symphony of various components working in harmony. So, I must say, what I truly admire is the overall ambiance and impression our new look and feel creates.”
So, we're proud to be able to share the amazing results with you. Hopefully, you like our new look and feel as much as we do. Stay tuned for more startup branding insights.