Problem

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people of all ages turned towards computer gaming as a way to connect with friends and family. As people across the world were forced to quarantine inside their homes, time spent indoors and internet usage increased dramatically. Aiden Gutierrez, commonly known by his alias, GutzyAiden, was riding a wave of success from his social media video series featuring Computer Desk Setups. He constructed his personal desk setup from scratch, documenting the process on social media along the way. Aiden utilized many unique tech accessories and decorative items to personalize his workspace, improve aesthetics, and elevate his time spent at home. He had been recently laid off from his job and was searching for a way to generate income through his passion for content creation and gaming. His idea of creating custom mousepads was then established, but he required an overarching branding identity for this new side business of his before he could sell products. My plan was to design a simple, yet easily identifiable branding kit for him to utilize on various platforms for both digital and print-based media.

My Role

I worked directly with the client to brainstorm ideas, research the market, and design a branding identity for the GutzyAiden brand. I also worked indirectly with an illustrator on various designs and color palettes.

Solution

The objective of this project was to create a cohesive brand identity for GutzyAiden to be implemented on his mousepads, online storefront, marketing materials, social media content, and other physical products. After many iterations, a combined mark of the letters “G” and “A” were designed to be bold, minimalistic, and easily recognizable. The purpose for a minimalist design was so the branding on the physical product would not be obtrusive, yet would be easily recognized by potential customers if they were interested in purchasing the product. These mousepads were designed as a solution to add an element of uniqueness and personality to any computer setup. Various colors, patterns, and sizes allow the customer to customize their workspace and improve a barren tabletop. GutzyAiden began selling his custom mouse pads in June 2020 and has since sold 16,000+ units to customers all over the world.

Research

I began my research process by browsing websites such as Behance and Dribbble for inspiration. I sketched out many rough ideas for the placement of the elements in the logo, and sent variations to the client to receive feedback on which direction he wanted to take. Overall, the direction we took was a horizontal combination of the two letters "GA", short for "GutzyAiden." The client wanted something that would fit in with his personality and aesthetic of his livestreams and social video content.

Challenges

While creating a minimalist logo with the "GA" letter combination, there were many other logos with the same flow from the "G" to the "A" lettermark. It took many different iterations to be able to distance my design from similar logo marks already being utilized. Another challenge I faced was scalability, as the logo would be utilized for a website favicon, low-resolution profile pictures, packaging materials, email signature, and much more. I designed the logo to be instantly recognizable as "GA" to someone who has never seen the logo before. Overall, this project has taught me how to think critically as a designer and work to solve a problem through collaboration and extensive design iterations.

Learnings

I received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from customers purchasing the finalized products. I had a few dozen customers inquire on social media and by email asking if they could have a logo designed for their own personal branding. As many members in GutzyAiden's target audience view him as an inspiration and role model, the customers reacted positively to this new logo identity. In my opinion, the style works perfectly for the client's target audience and fits in nicely compared to other logo designs for related merchandise. It came to my attention that most customers did not mind the branding in the bottom right-hand corner of the product, and that it was incorporated well in the design. This project provided me with many key takeaways regarding branding, marketing and how to market to specific audiences. The branding of GutzyAiden has been fundamental to the growth of his business since founding, and I will continue to support his growth through design work and additional branding resources.

Programs Used

Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Lightroom Classic, Adobe Dimension