SOLOSHOT
Art Director
2016-2018
In March of 2016, I took on the challenge of re-branding a 5-year-old tech startup on the brink of taking its third-generation product to the masses via its’ online shop, retail, social media and B2B.
It has been the most enjoyable experience of my professional career and my most challenging.
Logo Redesign
Brand Identity
Iconography
Website Concept + Design
App UI/UX
Consumer Technology UI/UX
Packaging
Retail Point of Purchase
Social Branding
Digital Marketing
Marketing Collateral
First Things First
Create a cohesive symbol and wordmark for an emerging–category creating–technology company that had its sights on becoming a national brand in the same market as established companies such as GoPro and DJI.
SOLOSHOT had been around for 5 years and maintained a tight-knit group of loyal employees. They had a strong attachment to the existing logo but also realized it needed some attention. As much as I wanted to start from scratch, I quickly realized that it wasn’t necessary or wanted.
The symbol’s curves all had the same radius and the legs of the top and bottom sections were too close. I created smooth outer curves, varying their radius and created hard inner corners to represent a 16×9 screen.
The symbol and word mark were too close together. I wanted to be able to use the symbol on its own in the future, so they needed separation.
The serif on the first “S” was out of place and had to go.
I was a big fan of DIN back in the day, but the “S” always bothered me. They needed a smoother, more athletic slope. By the time this was done, I had created an entire font.
Establishing Rules
Create a professional brand identity for an emerging–category creating–technology company that had its sights set on becoming a national brand.
SOLOSHOT didn’t just set out to create a product, it was creating an entire ecosystem and moving fast.
I had to quickly establish a loose set of brand guidelines and adapt them as new issues arose. As we settled in as a company, the rules established themselves and were key to being able to create with the agility and success that we did.
Keep It Clean
Create an icon set and establish a style that could translate in all media and product interfaces.
As we began to create the SOLOSHOT ecosystem, I quickly realized that having an icon set would greatly help in presenting a cohesive look.
For a company that is creating the first auto-tracking camera, the most important icon was the “track” icon. The bold circular-cross-hair mark was established first and the rest fell into place as they were needed. I gave these a thinner outline and a blue accent to highlight the action.
Concept, Design, Test, Launch, Repeat
Create an engaging and informative touchpoint for the consumer that is easily navigable and sparks a need to purchase.
From SOLOSHOT’s inception, the website has not only been the company’s main touchpoint but like most start-ups, its main source of revenue. The difficulty of introducing a new product category has led it to have an ever-changing existence. It has been “engineered” and A/B tested using analytics and algorithms on a weekly basis.
Knowing the website’s background, I knew the design needed to be streamlined and adaptable to changing messages and imagery. It also had to reach multiple consumer verticals at once and above all look professional. Working closely with our amazing development team and keeping an open line of communication was a must, as we constantly tested SHOPIFY’s limits.
Hardware Is Hard
Create the 3rd generation robot cameraman that automatically pans, tilts and zooms as it tracks the subject from up to 2000 ft. And make it easy to use.
The SOLOSHOT3 is the company’s 3rd generation robot cameraman. The first was a vision that the team turned into a working product that sold around 1,000 units. The second was an award-winning product that was too hard for the average consumer to use and sold around 2,000 units. The third was going to be the game-changer…
Hardware: I had very little to say about what the product looked like, but I did work closely with Operations and Engineers on the finishing touches, designing the graphic elements and regulatory overlays and inspecting final hardware at the FoxConn assembly plant in Chongqing, China.
UI/UX: After version 1.0 was released, it was quickly realized that changes needed to be made. I worked closely with our software team to help create a better user experience; simplifying the interaction, creating more intuitive graphics and creating a cleaner overall look.
Skinning On the Fly
Create a social app that provided a familiar user experience but didn’t look like everything else on the market.
Because of our “extenuating circumstances,” we needed to show progress on the live streaming and social sharing side before our customer-ready product was being manufactured. The app existed before my arrival and worked as advertised, but there had been no time for attention to a cohesive design.
Our first app UI/UX looked and acted like an unpolished version of Instagram. No knock on our incredible App Team, at all. They were asked to do the impossible in an absurdly short amount of time and made it happen. I merely delivered a set of comps that re-skinned the interface to set it apart from the existing social apps and worked closely with the team as the changes were implemented and tweaked.
Bucking the Trend
Create packaging that was inviting to the consumer, presented the product clearly and could hold its own next to products at similar price points in the same marketplace.
This was the first generation of SOLOSHOT that was going to be mass produced and sold in retail. The plan was to start small and be ready for “big-box” to come calling. We needed to look the part.
I love Apple. Everyone loves Apple, but not every product has to be floating in stark white. The SOLOSHOT3 was made to be surrounded in rich black. The orange highlights of the product and our SOLOSHOT blue pop. We still kept it simple, adding a blue accent to the rim (a respectful nod to Dr. Dre and Beats) and a gloss logo overlay to the interior box (yes, very Apple-ish).
Once our hero had its look, the accessories fell into place. I differentiated the nameplate, stacking the logo and accessory name flush-left to our boxed symbol. Our blue was added when needed for an extra pop of color.
After a couple of trips to China for press-runs and Pandas, I think we can call this one a success.
Going Big Box
Create a Point of Purchase Display that was inviting and informative to the consumer, guarded against theft and could hold its own next to products at similar price points in the same marketplace.
We had our eyes set on retail and needed a PoP that both “small-box” and “large-box” could envision being on their floor.
By collaborating with our vendor, with specific goals in mind, we were able to create a three-piece PoP that could stand-up against larger brands in the same market and break-down to a more manageable version for smaller markets.
The 23” video screen serves as the eye candy. The domed box allows us to show the product without retailers having to worry about damage or theft and also informs the customer on how the product works. The glass case shows off the packaging and is lockable. The lower section is customizable to adapt to inventory on hand and future accessories.
Digital Marketing
Present SOLOSHOT professionally, while creating an emotional connection with the consumer via all media outlets in order to help all sales channels succeed.
SOLOSHOT is a startup. Startups don’t have a lot of money. The art director does not make money decisions.
Look, I get it. Buyers are online. Everyone’s on social. We have the ability to know what everyone likes and if that person is fit to be hit with an ad in hope that they become an owner in as few clicks as possible. And with a bucket-load of cash, this totally works.
But, for long-term success, you have to establish a brand, form a connection with your audience, spark emotion and give them a reason to remember your name and shout it from the rooftops. This is why I do what I do. I am extremely proud of the work our amazing team have been able to accomplish.
I hope one day you’ll know who SOLOSHOT is. Until then, enjoy the Facebook ad.
Creating a Following
Create an inviting atmosphere for influencers and owners to share content and for customers to learn about the product.
Because of our two previous generations of product, there’s a lot of out-of-date info, imagery, and old logos floating around. With a quick Google search, anyone can find them and post them anywhere they like and they do.
Our social media, influencer, and customer service teams have done an amazing job of curating content, helping customers and dispelling critics. As we know, social media is the beast that runs the world, I just tried to make sure our pages looked professional and that no one used the wrong logo.