Camina Lab
The mobility of the future gets a new branding
A new branding for the startup that will make our cities greener.
Camina Lab is a new mobility startup and seed accelerator dedicated to developing sustainable transport solutions for the future of the cities.
We partnered with them to develop a comprehensive, consistent, and human-centered brand and digital presence in line with their values and that speaks directly to their target audience.
Services and deliverables
Visual identity
Logo design
Art direction
Strategy
Icon design
Social media design
Web design
Landing page
Digital presence
Introducing Camina Lab
Better urban development
Camina Lab applies business thinking to major social and environmental issues affecting our cities.
Its a team of entrepreneurs, developers, and data scientists implementing their expertise towards transportation, energy, and urban development.
Getting to know the target audience
Hello, Millenials
The target of Camina Lab is Millenial entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years old.
We researched about their behavior, and uncovered 3 main points:
Values
When it comes to buying a product or service, they don’t just look for functionality, they consider if the company has values that align with theirs so that eventually, the brand will be part of their own identity.
Social and hyper-connected
They share their lives through social media, posting a few pieces of content every day. The evolution of technology has enabled them to be connected at all times and everywhere.
Digital natives
Digital devices and technology are part of their lives. A study on the matter found that over 85% of Millennials in the U.S. own smartphones, the highest smartphone penetration rate of any other generation.
Uncovering guiding strategies
Connecting the dots
Based on the research about Millenials, we uncovered these guiding strategies.
Creating an emotional link
We will communicate in a bold and human way that resonates with them. This spirit should be reflected in the messaging and design of each and every brand touchpoint.
Leverage a strong social media presence We will use Instagram as the primary platform, since it reaches one billion active users every month, most of them being Millenials.
Responsive and mobile-first website
The website will be designed considering that users can access it from any device, with mobile being the most likely.
Competitor analysis
Finding our edge
Camina Lab is a new company, so we started the brand from scratch with absolute freedom.
We analyzed the competitors to learn from them, and to approach the brand from a completely different angle.
We distilled two visual clues from the analysis, that would inform the final design:
Do not use the color green
Green is the color chosen by the most prominent companies in the sector. We could follow their lead to associate our brand with them, but we want to be seen as a disruptive startup, we don’t want to follow the rules that big companies have set.
Do not base the logo on references from plants or sprouts
Conceptually it makes a lot of sense, because we talk about “seed accelerators” and therefore the association is very direct. But when several companies in the sector have already used the same idea, it loses originality.
↑ Diagram of Camina Lab’s values.
Defining brand values
The root of everything
These values guide and inform the design and messaging.
This goes beyond the logo, and also includes copywriting, colors, typography, choice of images, icons, and illustrations. Consistency among all these elements is key.
Camina Lab’s values
Bold
We are not just another startup, we have a strong drive guided by our values.
Warmth
We are accessible and empathetic. People and their concerns are at the center of what we do.
Sustainable
The reason we exist is to create solutions to major social and environmental issues linked to urban transportation.
The result
The brand that digital, mobility entrepreneurs love
The brand logo
Urban with a warm aftertaste
The logo is based on stencil letterforms. Those are the type of letters used to paint the roads, making a direct connection with Camina Lab sector: mobility.
Despite being a stencil, this unique typeface stands out for having rounded forms that endow it with a kinder, warmer character.
It is not common to find such a non-aggressive stencil typeface. Its personality is very different from what is expected, reinforcing brand recognizability.
Color palette
Your brain can’t ignore these colors
After our initial competitor analysis, it was clear that we would not use the color green. Instead, we created a powerful palette with strong contrast.
Intense yellow
Asphalt black
Concrete
Light grey
Intense yellow
Asphalt black
Concrete
Light grey
The use of intense yellow and asphalt black is inspired by the painted signs on the street. In color psychology, the yellow+black combination is the one our brain notices first, that’s why it’s used in danger signs.
Image curation
On the move
The images are carefully selected considering the audience and brand values.
We curated all the photos with the same criteria:
→ All photos should convey the idea of mobility. There should always be people on the move or using transportation.
→ There should always be an intense yellow element, reinforcing the brand connection.
Custom icon set
An icon is worth 100 words
We created a set of custom icons as part of the brand, to be used on different touchpoints to help make the messages more visual.
Social media presence
Eye-catching content
We designed the Instagram feed of Camina Lab, carefully targeted to millennials.
Responsive, mobile-first website
Building a strong online presence
The website is responsive and can be visited from any device.
The content on the website celebrates Camina Lab mission and values. It also works as a place to list all the projects under the brand and news about the mobility sector.
↑ Mobile version of the website.
Brand guidelines
Consistency builds trust
A brand becomes recognizable by being consistent over time. We created a document with brand guidelines to keep consistency across every touchpoint.