The power of data & analytics

Design for Neon Redwood LLC by Sarah Paulhus
March 2023

Creating a new experience for a data and analytics consulting firm

objective

Neon Redwood is a consultancy that delivers data insights about investment performance. As a company that prides itself on its ability to deliver cutting-edge technology solutions, Neon Redwood needed a brand identity that reflected its forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence, in addition to reflecting it’s position as a reputable new company.

Insight

The company name was inspired by the Transamerica Redwood Park in San Francisco. Focusing the identity around redwood trees felt natural and could convey Neon Redwood’s mission of helping clients and investments grow, both upward and outward. In addition, the redwood speaks to where this company was formed, California, and adds a nice “organic” counterbalance to the technicality of the services they provide. The goal was to create a brand identity that was modern, sleek, and professional, while also conveying the company's core values of innovation, expertise, and reliability.

Moodboards

IDEAS

Being a data and tech focused company, creating redwood symbols using geometric shapes, sharp angular lines, and elegant strokes felt like a nice place to start exploring in. In Concept 1, the use of an unexpected color palette leaning into some cooler, brighter tones that speaks to the “Neon” part of the brand name while not being super predictable.

Concept 2 was inspired by Swiss design, pulling in a linear tree icon and creating a circular frame that “completes” the top branches of the tree. Leaning into a palette of sharp reds and blacks, this direction really could stand next to all the top consultancies and agencies in their industry and not look like the new kid on the block.

Finally, Concept 3 explores that concept of exponential growth and focuses instead on a cross-section pattern of the redwood using the tree rings to create both an icon and textural element that could be pulled through multiple applications. A brighter and more nature-inspired palette really took this direction into a much more warm, organic territory.

Final Brand Design

The result of exploration landed in a very modern and sleek representation of the brand name; a monogram with a strong diagonal cut through it, connecting the crossbar of the N with the leg of the R. As the brand continued to develop, the team started to feel that leaning too hard into tree iconography was too abstract, and we struggled with finding a tree shape that looked like a redwood without feeling too visually small in weight (redwoods are quite skinny and tall!). Additionally, in combination with the bright red, we were at risk of looking like “Christmas.”

The monogram felt like it achieved the goal of conveying strength, growth, and forward-trajectory and the vibrant red reflects the company's energy and passion for technology.

One of my goals was to create an icon that could stand on its own without the wordmark always accompanying it, which is near impossible for a new brand. We believed creating a monogram icon made this possible. While the vertical lockup will be the primary orientation, the horizontal lockup was necessary for smaller applications like email headers, and used very rarely.

Overall, the Neon Redwood brand identity is a testament to the company's commitment to excellence and innovation. It reflects the company's forward-thinking approach to data services consulting and positions it as a leader in the industry.