Building a brand identity and design system for Arrivia
Client
Arrivia
Role
UX Designer
Timeline
Jan - Mar 2019
Summary
The merger of International Cruise & Excursions, Inc. (ICE), SOR Technology, and WMPH Vacations necessitated a comprehensive rebranding effort to create a unified enterprise, ultimately named Arrivia. After a successful brand identity, I built upon the rebrand to spearhead a multi-brand design system to support the white-labeled travel products provided by Arrivia.
Problem statement
Internally, the continued operation of these entities as separate units fostered a sense of disconnectedness and hindered the development of a shared company culture.
Externally, the legacy brand names no longer accurately reflected the enterprise's strategic ambitions and market positioning with clients, brands, partners, suppliers, and members.
Project goals
Create a unified brand of the merged companies
Restructure and align companies’ core values
Provide a Visual identity to promote positive change
Introduce a design system to bring stability to online products
Methods
Creative brief introduction
User research
Sketches and concepts
Color exploration
Competitive analysis
Design system
Brand concepting for Arrivia
The formation of Arrivia required more than just a visual rebranding; it necessitated a fundamental shift in company culture. A creative brief, outlining the SVP's vision for the future of the enterprise, provided valuable direction for the rebranding process. With a focus on creating a fun, consumer-centric brand, the creative team began exploring design concepts.
After numerous iterations, the "pineapple" concept emerged as the leading direction from leadership. Inspired by the SVP's playful references to pineapples, I explored the potential of a pineapple-inspired logomark. Following extensive refinement and exploration of various color palettes, we finalized the abstract mark shown below, which captures the spirit of travel in a fresh, modern, and consumer-focused way
Design system
Following the development of Arrivia's visual identity, we prioritized the creation of a comprehensive design system to enhance team efficiency and ensure visual consistency across all products.
The design system would serve to eliminate inconsistencies arising from individual design or development approaches, creating a unified and cohesive user experience. Building the system from scratch, we leveraged our existing knowledge of design foundations and components, while also drawing inspiration from established design systems used by leading brands.
Our understanding of design system principles enabled us to create standardized visual components, such as buttons and their various states, eliminating ambiguity and ensuring consistent user interactions. This visual consistency creates predictable and intuitive experiences for our users.
Takeaway
The rebranding process, undertaken in close collaboration with the creative team and SVPs, presented both challenges and valuable learning opportunities. Through collective decision-making, we finalized the logo and visual identity for Arrivia.
While the design system integration was unfortunately curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased with the progress made on this project, including the foundational work on the design system to support future team efficiency.