Challenge

As Optima Boilers had big plans to take on the already established companies, they required a visual identity and digital assets that would not only give them presence, but also help them to quickly grow their customer base. One direction the owners had in mind was to capture business through digital learning, something their research told them the competition lacked. This meant they would require film and editing services, as well as a website to allow customers to easily find helpful videos when they needed them. Beyond the digital strategy, Optima Boilers also required design services for their marketing and advertisement. As a big part to their drive for impactful presence optima Boilers relied on door drops of flyers, which would need to be regular and unique every time.

Users & audience

The target users for this brand were members of the public that had plumbing or heating issues. This means the audience group was broad and nonspecific, so anything that was to be designed had to be relatable, to the point and visually appealing. This was important, especially for the door drops, as so many flyers would come through the letter box from a variety of companies, that most end up in the bin.

My role

I was hired as a Digital Designer, tasked with creating the visual identity for the brand, the UI design of the website, filming and editing their content and aiding the marketing team with all their designs. I reported to the Director and liaised frequently with the Head of Marketing.

Visual identity

The company had an existing name and idea for the logo, so I focused predominantly on the typography, colour palette and general brand guidelines. After meeting with the Director, I turned his drawings into an illustrated logo which could then be used for all their material, including van decals. The typeface chosen was Arial Rounded MT, both for its availability across the organisation and its portrayal as friendly and inviting. The colour palette chosen was a purple Pantone which represented compassion, quality and reflection, helping to both sell the brand’s quality and understanding, as well as stand out above the blue tone often used by competitors. Once this was signed off by the Director, I proceeded to create brand guidelines and all instances of the logo required by the business.

UI design

For the design of the website, I worked alongside a colleague from the Marketing team and we held a workshop to create different designs and a wireframe of the site. I then created a prototype using InVision and once this was signed off by the Director my colleague developed the prototype into WordPress. The entire process from concept to deliver only took a couple of days to complete, something the company were very impressed with.

Film & editing

As part of the digital strategy for the brand presence, Optima Boilers set out to grow a community, providing customers with a reason to interact with the company, even if they did not yet require a new boiler. To achieve this, we created a series of videos, documenting a wealth of information that allowed customers to ‘do it themselves’ for minor issues. To store all these videos, I worked with the Marketing department to create a YouTube presence and through successful marketing grew the channel. These videos were created using Premiere, After Effects and Illustrator.

Marketing & advertisement

As well as a YouTube presence, the brand was active on many social media channels. I worked with the Marketing team to design all their online advertising in order to help drive sales and establish their market presence. I created all their printed marketing, including regular flyer designs to align with their door drop schedule and designs for their advertisement space bought in local magazines. I also designed their business cards, infographics and branded all the forms used by the Sales team.

Outcome

Optima Boilers took to their visual identity with enthusiasm, and through their marketing channels, established a strong brand presence right from the start. The use of a varied flyer design meant their door drop strategy worked well and the idea of giving back to the public through free information helped to grow a strong brand loyalty amongst residents in their target areas. Optima Boilers continues to grow their library of ‘how to’ videos, their social media following and are looking to expand their operation into surrounding counties.