Creating an identity for a new application that introduces a fun new way to find your favorite places
Tired of going to a restaurant based on how many stars it has only to be disappointed in your experience there? You’re not alone, the founders at Grip felt the same way. That’s why they created a solution that ditches the star system and instead lets you search by tags associated with the vibe such as Happenin, Stylish, or Cozy. Other features of the app include a live video feed to preview the ambiance of a place before visiting, and personalized recommendations - whether that’s a restaurant, coffee shop, gym, etc. - based on your preferences and past experiences, essentially making it the Spotify of experiences.
With the app already in the works, the Grip team set out to find a partner who could create a distinct and memorable brand for them that would be both appealing to a restaurant owner as well as a consumer. They ultimately decided on FlowState Marketing to fill this role and working with FlowState as a designer, I was able to help hone in the direction of the brand. In addition to the branding portion of the project, Grip was also looking to produce video assets to help promote the launch of the app. I was able to fill the roles needed, from director down to the nitty gritty motion graphics designer, to produce these video assets ranging from a full length overview video to short form social ads.
The original idea for the video was to show the app in action, filming inside restaurants and producing a live-action narrative. What we weren’t expecting, along with the rest of the world, was the COVID19 pandemic. Filming a live-action video, let alone filming inside restaurants quickly became irresponsible if not impossible. Luckily we were able to pivot to a more realistic, though ambitious video concept that was attainable in such uncertain times. A further challenge we were presented with for the full-length overview video in particular, was how to quickly communicate the app’s purpose while making sure to highlight all the features that set them apart in a single video.
With the concept all hashed out and the storyboard completed and approved, it was time to move into production. As FlowState is not a production company, it became a challenge in itself just to source all the equipment and have it ready for the day of the shoot. During production day, there was a lot of choreography rehearsal before filming each one-shot take. There were a number of things to consider while filming that added complexity to the shoot such as making sure the phone screen was angled correctly towards the overhead camera at all times, making sure the performance of each hand was in keeping with the tone of the video, and taking into account the animation that would be taking place at any given point and how much time would be needed for each animation.
We were glad to be able to execute on both portions of the project for Grip: delivering a strong brand identity that was memorable, tech-forward, and personal as well as delivering video assets that successfully communicated Grip’s purpose and key features. In the end we were very happy with the results were able to achieve despite challenges throughout every step of the process, particularly during the video portion of the project. I can’t wait to start seeing their branding and their ads in action and not to mention using Grip to find my next favorite spot.
Just for fun, I’ve included additional directions below that were explored during the branding portion of the project and presented to the client. Aspects of these designs were pulled into the final direction but were not selected as the overall final option.
