This project is a compilation of the branding identity, digital, print, motion, and UX work for a management consultancy. They deeply base their processes on an aviation background hailing from New Zealand. An aviation heritage means they know how to launch and land safely in business. Like any good aviator.
I had ambitions to improve and develop Sysdoc’s branding in its weakest areas. Early on I had a hunch that the guidelines on colour and contrast were not up to scratch. So my first step was putting that to the test. Running all of the existing colour guidelines through a WCAG 3 accessibility checker I established which ones were failing. I then implemented these accessible colour combinations into the brand guidelines, and updated any Microsoft Office templates accordingly.
In addition, we needed more functional colours on the pallet. In particular, a green, as consultants were struggling with conveying a comparison between a successful and unsuccessful point in their work for clients. To do this, I experimented with several shades and hues of green to find one that retroactively fit in with Sysdoc’s existing ones. I generally use tools like Coolers in this situation to chew through as many ideas as possible and see what fits.
Similarly to the accessibility colour update, this colour addition was signed off and then implemented across the orginisation. I then led an accessibility workshop for the company along with these changes. This was so that colleeges who arent designers could easily understand what to watch out for, as well as discussing the importance and relevance of it. Talks related the the prevalence of visual imparements across the UK such as colour blindness and other considerations.
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When presenting to clients, consultants and designers alike always lacked an element of visual supplement that wasn’t considered at the inception of the Sysdoc design system. There were guidelines on photography but these were always general and didn’t help to guide the audience.
Working with a Senior Designer, we established an art direction and developed a series of icons that would help everyone guide clients through their work. The icons were often tied to either themes the design team spoke about often such as accessibility and branding, and what consultants often presented such as ERP, engagement, and change management.
I led the development of a vision room for the HCD capability internally at Sysdoc. The goal was to provide those outside of the team with a way of learning about my team and what we did during lockdown in the UK. Development meant a lot of stakeholder engagement and testing internally. On the way, I found that we needed to simplify our HCD process, and pivot to a more generic one as the existing one was hard to communicate internally or to clients. This way would also align better with Sysdoc’s internal processes outside of the team.Built in Microsoft Spaces, the room helped my team engage clients and internal employees alike. We could express what we do in an engaging format and start conversations about HCD and how to implement it in organisations.
