Sequoia-backed CRM startup
01 Overview
Cooby was at its earliest stage, not yet incorporated. There were fewer than ten people, no product, and no brand assets. The team had identified a clear user pain point, but the product direction was still taking shape. Everything needed to be built from zero, with no existing visual language to reference or extend.
02 Brand Development
As founding designer, I facilitated a brand personality exercise, helping the team shift from abstract adjectives to something down to earth. We refined the keywords down to three: Efficient, Professional, and Sidekick (evolved from the original "lively"). Each keyword mapped directly to a visual decision.
03 From Keyword to Identity
The CEO mentioned that Dropbox was close to what he envisioned for Cooby's style. With that reference in mind, I defined the core elements of the brand identity.
04 App Icon
I led another brand exercise with the team, this time using real-world object association to explore what items represent Cooby. The final mark combines a quill and paper, merging professionalism with the idea of a classic note-taking tool.
05 Art Directed Illustration
After the initial product launch, it was time to build out and explore the brand's style. To bring more unique recognition to the Cooby brand, I proposed introducing illustrations to add a handcrafted feel, and art directed them with an external illustrator through moodboards and style definitions. The illustrations were applied across social media, the product app, and the website.
06 Outcome
Shortly after the brand launch, the company secured backing from Sequoia's Surge program, and has since grown to serve over 600 customers across 15+ countries.