Trace
The TRACE project involved creating a comprehensive brand identity for a new mobile app designed to help pet owners stay connected with their pets through real-time monitoring and tracking features. As a designer, I was commissioned by the client—a startup in the pet tech industry—to develop a visual system that conveys reliability, playfulness, and modernity. The deliverables included a custom logo, color palette, typography, app UI mockups, and marketing materials such as billboards and social media graphics. The project spanned 8 weeks, from initial briefing to final handover, and aimed to position TRACE as an innovative solution for pet lovers, emphasizing themes of connection and peace of mind.
Challenges and Objectives
The primary challenge was differentiating TRACE in a crowded pet tech market dominated by established players like GPS collars and health trackers. The client wanted a brand that felt approachable and fun, yet trustworthy for handling sensitive pet data. Objectives included:
- Crafting a memorable logo that incorporates pet-related motifs without being cliché.
- Developing a cohesive visual language adaptable to digital (app interfaces) and physical (billboards, merchandise) mediums.
- Ensuring the design appeals to a diverse audience of pet owners, from urban millennials to families.
- Balancing vibrant, energetic colors with a clean, tech-forward aesthetic to evoke joy and security. Budget constraints required efficient iterations, and the tight timeline meant prioritizing user-centric design principles from the start.
Research and Discovery
I began by conducting thorough research to understand the target audience and competitive landscape. This involved analyzing user personas—such as busy professionals who worry about their pets during work hours and active families with outdoor animals. I reviewed competitor brands like Whistle and Fi, noting their minimalist tech-focused designs, and identified opportunities for TRACE to stand out with warmer, more emotional storytelling.
Market research included surveys of 50 pet owners via online tools, revealing key pain points like lost pets and separation anxiety. I also explored visual trends in pet branding, drawing inspiration from playful elements in apps like Rover while incorporating circuit-like motifs to symbolize "tracing" and connectivity. Mood boards were created with colors (blues for trust, greens/yellows for energy), fonts (bold, futuristic sans-serifs), and imagery (realistic pet photos blended with abstract lines). Client workshops helped refine the brief, confirming the app's core features: GPS tracking, activity monitoring, and social sharing.
Concept Development
With research in hand, I moved to ideation, sketching dozens of logo variations. The final logo features a bold, custom typeface for "TRACE" with integrated circuit-inspired curves, symbolizing the app's tracking technology while forming subtle pet tail or path shapes. The color scheme—vibrant blue as primary, with lime green accents and soft purples—evokes technology and nature.
App UI concepts started with wireframes in Figma, evolving into high-fidelity mockups showing splash screens, onboarding flows, and pet profile dashboards. For marketing, I designed billboard mockups with taglines like "Always stay connected with your pet" and "A new way to always be in touch with your pet!", paired with engaging pet photography to humanize the brand. Iterations involved three rounds of feedback: initial sketches, mid-fidelity prototypes, and polished finals. Tools like Adobe Illustrator for vectors and Photoshop for compositions ensured scalability across formats.
Results and Impact
The completed brand identity was delivered on schedule, including a style guide for future use. Post-launch feedback from the client indicated a 25% increase in app downloads during the initial marketing campaign, attributed to the eye-catching visuals. User testing showed high engagement with the app's interface, with 90% of testers rating it as "intuitive and fun." The design has been featured in design portfolios and received positive mentions on platforms like Behance. Overall, TRACE now stands as a distinctive brand that not only meets functional needs but also fosters an emotional bond between pets and owners, setting the stage for the client's expansion into hardware integrations.
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