Basevan

The process began with an analysis of the existing Basevan brand. It turned out the company name was being presented differently across mediums — sometimes with a space between ‘Base’ and ‘van’, sometimes with ‘.com’ written in the name, and sometimes with the ‘v’ capitalised. Going forward, Basevan was to always be written ‘Basevan’, with the ‘.com’ featuring in the logo only. It was also decided that the majority of the brand’s equity came from its distinctive teal blue, which should take centre stage in the new identity.

After combing over the old identity, I worked with the Basevan team to determine what the new brand should stand for. On top of being more ‘grown up’, the brand would also look to appear more digital, striking a delicate balance between an established, professional tech brand and one that stayed true to its approachable, people-based roots.

The most important factor in designing the logo was incorporating the ‘.com’ in a prominent way; given the new web-based business model and the overarching objective to drive traffic, it was important consumers’ eyes were immediately drawn to the ‘.com’. This meant ridding the logo of any unnecessary visual distractions, with the palm, mountains, sun, van, and conifer from the old logo dying a death. The character of the company was to be channelled through the new wordmark, with its quirky, rounded letterforms, high-contrast strokes, and trendy ink traps. The teal from the old identity was carried forward and darkened to accompany a more earthy, natural beige (reminiscent of the type of sceneries Basevan customers eventually find themselves in), replacing the white.

The final step was to apply the new look to all relevant brand touchpoints. I mocked up how the new identity would sit on a website, Instagram page, and OOH advertisement. I also designed a new set of business cards and, of course, a keyring.