Ark Data Services: digital identity for a small family business

 
Businesses always want to eventually find their own identitiy, and it is amazing to see when a small business reaches out for help on crafting their brand. Ark Data Services is a blockchain data storage company started by the Yi family and based in Southern California. They needed a website to help promote their business, and I was able to also design a brand identity system that fit their needs.


The goal is to create a tone of voice that is reliable, professional, and most importantly, approachable. With the mixed connotations that ‘blockchain’ comes with, giving their customers a sense of security was a high priority for this project.



8 Weeks
Freelance Project
Figma, Wix

Visual Identity
Web Design















Process


1. Scope the Project.



The first step was to understand the exact deliverables for this project. While designing a website was the requirement, creating a system of design rules was essential if Ark Data Services wants to design other digital or print assets that fall under the same brand.

My client also informed me that they plan to expand to other data services in the future, so through out my design process I made sure that the brand system was flexible enough to accomodate new services/products.


2. Research, Strategy, and Priorities.



Next, I had to understand the data storage space: who were the stakeholders, what sort of technology is involved, etc. This helped me to strategize and brainstorm: what can I focus on for this brand identity that showcases the benefits of blockchain storage? I decided to use the cloud motif to emphasize the alleviation of stress that happens when customers trust Ark Data Services with their precious data.

3. Communication, Iteration, and Feedback.



This was the meat of the process. Whether it was making wireframes in Figma or picking the final color palette, all design decisions were transparently communicated to my client over weekly check-ins.

4. Refinement.



During the last two weeks of the project, I updated the brand guideline document with final assets as well as made small touch-ups before the website launch.






Challenges


Starting a brand from scratch.


I was given two fonts and two colors as a starting point, but this essentially was my first time creating a brand for a company. A lot of time was spent on looking at brand guidelines from design agencies, studying website UI from other digital services, and researching about other data storage competitiors. Although doing something for the first time is a difficult process, it was equally rewarding to learn about areas that I can improve on for future branding projects.

Consistency is a marathon.


Creating a brand to be shown to actual customers requires a strict set of rules. Compared to school or personal projects, it was important to create an organized system so that other designers who will design for this brand can replicate and expand upon these guidelines. Therefore, I was very dilligent in keeping my my type choices, image treatment, and webpage layouts consistent with my rules unless I had to take a step back and modify the rules themselves.












Results

The new Ark Data Services website has both a clean and friendly impression due to the abundant use of color and vector illustrations. Yet, the playfulness does not distract from the services provided by my client: explanations of what blockchain storage is and how it can be incredibly useful is clearly explained through a cohesive type system. Instead of relying on long paragraph explanations, visuals such as timelines, diagrams, and charts can be used to illustrate the benefits of decentralized storage. While there are still areas where the brand can expand further, this is a great start to showcasing Ark Data Service’s expertise and what they can offer even as a budding company.








© 2023 CATHERINE WANG