This book was designed by Eli Brumbaugh in Michael Kidwell’s Design System’s class at the Kansas City Art Institute during the Fall of 2012. This is a hypothetical project in which I have rebranded Google.
A Letter From Larry Page CEO and Co-founder When I was a student at the University of Michigan, I went on a summer leadership course. The slogan was “a healthy disregard for the impossible,” and it’s an idea that has stayed with me ever since. It may sound nuts, but I’ve found that it’s easier to make progress on mega-ambitious goals than on less risky projects. Few people are crazy enough to try, and the best people always want to work on the biggest challenges. For that reason we have decided to rebrand Google as Solutions. We will not only do what was thought to be impossible but we will do it amazingly well. Everyone knows who and what Google is. But it is not about us! Its about what the world needs and what the world needs is Solutions!
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OUR MISSION!
“Solutions mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
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OUR ATTRIBUTES
INNOVATIVE
DIVERSE
PASSIONATE
PERSONAL
Solutions represents a very Diverse clientele and collection of employees from all over the world.
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Solutions is a Passionate company that has created many different programs to help in times of natural disasters, supporting educational programs, and promoting green practices in the technology industry.
Solutions is Innovative because we are always pushing for the best possible user experience through constant experimentation and testing to better compete with our competitors.
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Solutions is Personal because we want to be involved in every aspect of our user’s and employee’s lives for any question or problem that may need a Solution!
OUR PHILOSOPHY
“Focus on the user and all else will follow.” — Solutions Ten Things We Know to be True
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I, once described the “perfect search engine” as something that “understands exactly what you mean and gives you back exactly what you want.” Since I spoke those words Solutions has grown to offer products beyond search, but the spirit of what I said remains true. - Larry
TARGET AUDIENCE STUDENTS
BUSINESSES
INDIVIDUALS
Most popular with users under 34. Users are generally of a higher education and technologically adept.
Research suggests that the majority of our users are of an upper-middle class income structure.
Given research, one can assume that a majority of users are married and have or will have small families.
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With that being said the majority of Solutions users are business minded professionals.
COMPETITIVE AUDIT SEARCH ENGINE MARKET SHARE 2006 VS 2011 As you can see Solutions formerly Google has outgrown Bing, MSN’s replacement with a 22% increase. Yahoo has continued to shrink against the constant innovations being made to Solutions search. Losing 12.1%. MSN/ Bing gained 0.8%, Ask lost 3.2%, and AOL lost 4.2%.
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SEARCH ENGINE MARKET SHARE 2006
SEARCH ENGINE MARKET SHARE 2011
-1.3%
-4.2%
+0.8%
-12.1%
+22%
COMPETITIVE AUDIT
WHAT DOES THIS REFLECT? For the first time in over 7 years Solutions was not #1 in market share growth!
So what happened in 2012?
This reflects the beginning of a change for the search market!
Solutions gained 1.0% of the market share. Bing gained 2.0% and has risen to become Solutions closest competitor. Yahoo shrunk 2.7% and fell to 3rd place.
66.7% +1.0%
15.6% +2.0%
13.4% -2.7%
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COMPETITIVE AUDIT KEY U.S. MARKET Solutions top two competitors are Bing and Yahoo respectively in the United States.
In a blind comparison test, the outcome was clear – people chose Bing web search results over Solutions nearly 2:1. Specifically, of the nearly 1000 participants: 57.4% chose Bing more often, 30.2% chose Solutions more often; 12.4 % resulted in a draw.
+ Yahoo! and Microsoft have set up a powerful partnership, where Microsoft’s Bing search engine now powers Yahoo! search results. Combining Yahoo and Bing’s market share shows that Bing powers as much as 30% of current searches.
COMPETITIVE AUDIT SEARCH Here you can view the outdated Solutions homepage against the up and coming Yahoo! and Bing home pages.
For its part, our old Google page embraces the elegant simplicity of a white background and the Google Search text field. Links to key Google features in the upper left corner make checking e-mail a snap.
The Yahoo home page is considerably busier. This reflects the company's desire to be not just a search engine, but a starting point for Internet surfing. Its scattershot approach features search, news, communications tools, and such specifics as a horoscope.
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Bing's front page is distinctly flashy, thanks to its stunning photography. Nevertheless, navigation for specialized search is easy to find. Bing’s front door also includes plenty of shortcuts to other Microsoft-owned Web destinations such as MSN, Windows Live, and Bing Travel. It would be nice to have a short cut to mail.
PROCESS BRAND MARK EVOLUTION My brand mark has evolved through several different forms and equations in which its form is generated.
Google Now for comparison here is the old Google brand mark, and their three primary competitors next to my three early brand mark iterations and their dynamic counterparts.
Adam
I Fred choose to more forward with my third mark because I believe Sarah that by comparison that mark is a more innovative and modern stance on the Solutions brand. By blending theseyou colors together it helps reflect the seemliness in which all Solutions services and product interact together. It also provides a recognizable mark as diverse as their own user base.
PROCESS BRAND MARK & NAMING FINAL EVOLUTION The brand mark that I had previously selected has evolved through another stage of change. Instead of searching inside a box for Solutions we now reflect that we are discovering those Solutions and meeting those needs outside of the normal channels through innovation and exploration by removing our company from that restriction visually. To reflect this the name Google no longer reflects accurately what we as a company provide the world. Google as a word reflects a googol of possibilities. That’s the digit 1 followed by 100 zero’s! Sounds a little overwhelming doesn’t it? Solutions provides exactly what it says. Solutions to the users problems. The whole of human information is at our finger tips. We just make it easy to use!
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Adam you
BRAND MARK
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BRAND MARK STAGING AREA
DYNAMIC BRAND MARK GENERATION
AGE
The Solutions dynamic employee brand mark is generated through several key factors that effect every Solutions employee.
FOR EXAMPLE:
LARRY
40 50
Age 37 Executive Mountain View, CA.
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THESE FACTORS ARE:
70 10
Department Name Location Age
DEPARTMENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
80
20
90
30
100
LOCATION
ABC
STU
DEF
VWX
GHI
YZ
JKL MN OP
STANDARD MARK
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QR
NAME
DYNAMIC BRAND MARK EXAMPLES Here are a few examples of how the Solutions brand mark should appear after being generated. The individual effects in employees marks are evident but not so dramatic that we forget that we are part of the same team.
FRANK
Age 24 UI Designer Kansas City, MO.
LAUREN
Age 60 Ventures New York, NY.
LARRY
Age 37 Executive Mountain View, CA.
COLOR
LOGO COLOR USAGE
GRADIENTS The color gradients created for Solutions rebrand have been based off of the classic Google colors. This has allowed us to retain an aspect of familiarity but also reflect a more innovative approach as we move into the future. With today’s display screens we no longer have to resort to the limited web safe color range. Each piece that makes up the Solutions brand mark has its own gradient color field. When these are overlaid they form the box in the center from which Solutions spring forth.
INDIVIDUAL PIECES
ACTUAL GRADIENT
CENTER OVERLAY COLOR
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TYPOGRAPHY Gotham Rounded Book Gotham Rounded Book was selected for its playful and friendly tone. It is easy to read online and gives off a nonthreatening feeling. It should only be used as body copy.
Gotham Rounded Medium Gotham Rounded Medium is used primarily for emphasis and for calling out products, and services within the body copy.
Geogrotesque Medium Geogrotesque is used for its futuristic feel and ability to call out titles standing out against the friendlier Gotham tyepface.
ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890?!.,:;& ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890?!.,:;& ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWXYZ 1234567890?!.,:;&
TAGLINE, & LOGO TYPE COMBINED The Solutions brand tag line is “Outside of the Box” to promote its forward and innovative thinking that is the driving force behind today’s technology. The tagline itself should be cropped as shown below when possible. The Solutions name itself is outside of the unfolded box in the logo / brandmark lock up to help reenforce this concept of innovative thinking.
Together
Solutions Logotype
Outside of the Box
Tagline
Outside of the Box
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USE OF ELEMENTS Brand Mark Guidelines.
Do not place text in the other corners.
Do not rotate the brand mark.
Do not reflect the brand mark.
Do not use any other typeface.
Do not use small text.
Do not place the Solutions name in the center of the brand mark.
Do not change the color of the Solutions type.
Do not cut off the side of the brand mark.
TAKE AWAY UNOPENED This Solutions Take Away has been created through the clever folding of our logo mark into a container. We at Solutions believe that if our logo is going to contain anything its our guiding principals the “10 Things We Know to be True”.
Take Away Front
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Take Away Slightly Opened
Take Away Back
TAKE AWAY OPENED Inside the Take Away you can see our guiding principals on display here carefully formatted to fit the inside of our logo mark.
10 THINGS WE KNOW TO BE TRUE 1. Focus on the user and all else will follow. 2. It’s best to do one thing really, really well. 3. Fast is better than slow.
Take Away Close Up
4. Democracy on the web works. 5. You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer. 6. You can make money without doing evil. 7. There’s always more information out there. 8. The need for information crosses all borders. 9. You can be serious without a suit. 10. Great just isn’t good enough. Larry Page CEO and Co-founder
Take Away Open
BUSINESS CARDS FRONT Solutions business cards as a personalized as the solutions we provide to our customers. For that reason each employee’s custom created mark is applied to their individual business card. We celebrate the individual here at Solutions! On the backside of the business card we display name, job title, phone number, e-mail, address, and company website in that order.
Business Card Front
Business Card Back
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BUSINESS CARDS GROUP Here is a sample of a group of those cards together. Larry’s mark stands out clearly juxtaposing against his contact information.
ENVELOPE OUTSIDE Our envelope is clear and professional. By reflecting this professionalism on the front of our envelope and our tagline carefully cut off at the bottom of the envelope. On the backside of the envelope we surprise, and elude to the innovative and creative nature in which Solutions as a company operates. This is achieved through the use of a gradient color field featuring our eye catching colors.
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Envelope Front
Envelope Back
ENVELOPE INSIDE Inside of our envelope after having reflected the professionalism in which we operate we can allow for a moment of the whimsical. The company name is hidden inside of the envelope as a surprise once they’ve removed the letter. A reminder to the recipient that if they give Solutions a chance they might just be surprised.
Inside Message
CONTENTS INSIDE Inside of our envelope besides the letter we can include the Solution’s business card and the 10 Thinks We Known to be True take away to remind those recipients of our letters that we follow a code of conduct as a company that is in their best interest.
Inside Contents
LETTERHEAD Our letterhead is clear and straightforward. We proudly place the Solutions brandmark at the top of the letter and the name at the bottom of the letter. The Solutions name is slightly cut off to remind those receiving the letter of our “Outside of the Box� forward thinking that they have come to know and trust.
Without Copy
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LETTERHEAD REVERSE On the back of our letterhead is a gradient color field updated for a new era of our company. It is always full bleed and boldly stating off our “Outside of the Box” solutions.
Letters Together
Signiture
INVOICE Our Invoice is similar to our letter head in many respects but instead calls out its importance by being using large dramatic type. The focus is on the Solutions brand name and the details at hand first and foremost.
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T-SHIRTS Male Design featuring the brand mark.
Solutions
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T-SHIRTS Female Design featuring the brand mark.
Solutions
CAR WRAPS Our car wraps are based off of the same gradients that persist in our brand mark. These give off of a passionate and urban fun vibe as they pass through the city mapping Solutions Street View.
Solutions
Solution
s
Solutions
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OUTDOOR SIGNAGE Outside of Solutions HQ in Mountain View, CA. we have our new brand mark outside.
IPAD / IPHONE The Solutions website homepage looks like on the iPad and iPhone.
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LAPTOP The Solutions website homepage looks like on a laptop.
TOUCH POINT In this scenario the user will be exploring the Solutions website to explore Solutions Products and Services like Search, Images, and eventually Solutions Ventures.
SOLUTIONS WEBSITE The Solutions website homepage.
FOCUS! 1
1/7
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SOLUTIONS WEBSITE Even more options to view Solutions other products and services that they offer.
2/7
SOLUTIONS WEBSITE Browsing those Products and Services in which they select Web Search.
3/7
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SOLUTIONS WEBSITE Now showing the Search results for “Solutions Ventures” a product of the Solutions company.
4/7
SOLUTIONS WEBSITE After having now selected Image the use views Image Search Results for “Solutions Ventures”.
5/7
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SOLUTIONS WEBSITE The user now returns back to the Search Results for “Solutions Ventures”.
6/7
SOLUTIONS WEBSITE The user has reached the Solution Ventures Website in which they will be able to read about the investing arm of Solutions as a company.
FOCUS! 1
7/7
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