Branding
When I joined Olo in 2020, I began a journey with a 15 year old brand that had undergone just one revision, spurred by a rename in the early days of Olo's entry into digital hospitality. Though the logo itself was a strong mark, it needed further realization through the cultivation of a clean and modern identity with cohesive execution across a diverse brand ecosystem. In addition to the maturing Olo brand, there was an emerging system of product logos that required restructuring with a defined hierarchy based on their connection to and integration with certain points of restaurant operations.
The cornerstone of our work was led by a hierarchical study to identify distinct tiers of product modules. The project yielded a structure enabling core products with associated fees to scale alongside feature integrations added to the ecosystem with increasing frequency.
Another key facet was to understand customer processes, needs, and perceptions. In collaboration with the customer success team, we distilled a complex journey into an intuitive visual storyline to reveal a holistic, detailed customer experience, tailor-made for utilization across departments and functions.
Despite Olo being a broad and complex engine, it was built with intent and approachability, which ultimately contributed to the scale and innovation that has solidified its place at the forefront of the digital hospitality industry. The findings from the customer journey map and hierarchical study helped us arrive at a product brand ecosystem, formed from building-blocks on an isometric plane. Simple, approachable, and scalable.
From ordering, delivery, and engagements to the front-of-house or your actual home, the breadth of Olo’s on and off-premise identity has evolved into a thriving brand ecosystem.
Role
Brand Strategy
Art Direction
Partnership Management
TOUCHPOINTS
Identity
A key challenge to overcome in the early days of wrangling Olo's identity was the sheer amount of decentralized, inconsistent collateral any established organization might suffer from. Fortunately, the customer journey map provided critical insight for which of our marketing channels and functions needed triaging and which ones required a broader strategic approach.
The thoughtful creation of a series of 1 pagers for our core products naturally evolved into a product guide spanning all products and features. A renewal guide followed shortly thereafter and before we knew it we had a bustling library of content enabling a thriving go to market team that would go on to have a record-setting performance in FY2022.
And in the midst of that, we processed our one-billionth order, doubled our product offerings through 2 acquisitions, and launched a product rebrand. The design system, forged from creating countless pieces of collateral, and informed by the newly established brand guidelines, enabled us to scale a library of marketing and communication assets alongside the new additions to the product lineup.
Fast forward three years, Olo is now old enough to vote, and its identity matured in expression across digital and printed media. From empowering sales pitches, quarterly performance marketing campaigns, product releases, a signature annual customer conference, to day-to-day customer communications, Olo’s brand and identity forges the path forward as a leading SaaS platform for restaurants.
Role
Creative Direction
Design Strategy
Partnership Management
Brand Design
Identity Design
Front-End Development
