DataWorks Redesign
Short-term Work Project
May - August (2023)
About the Project
DataWorks is a company apart of the Georgia Tech College of Computing and funded by the NSF that provides nonprofit and civic organizations with data collection and analysis in the Atlanta area.
As DataWorks began to make changes to what they offer and how they are identified, there was also a need to upgrade their brand identity and web presence. They wanted to create an identity that embodied the professional and collaborative nature of DataWorks, while also being fun and inviting.
Impact
My rebrand is used across the website and other social media platforms. The updated website aligns with the current goals of the company including hosting their new learning curriculum.
Role
I was a Web Designer and Developer to create deliverables every week. I conducted design research, designed wireframes, participated in design reviews, and developed the website.
The Process
1
Research
Finding Inspiration
2
Design
Look and Feel
3
Prototype
Wireframing
4
Develop
Building the Website
Research
Finding Inspiration
I researched companies similar to DataWorks to understand what the branding trends. I also hosted a design session with other team members in the company to ideate content for the website such as blog post topics, curriculum, social media content, and short form content.
Center for Urban Pedagogy
Creative Reaction Lab
Gizmology Apprenticeship Program
Forum One
Hawai’i Data Collaborative
Key Takeaways
Lots of inclusion of graphical elements across the websites
Large font size to emphasize taglines
Brief informational blurbs and a button leading to a page holding larger amounts of text
Consistent branding across all pages
Purpose statements on the front page
Visual cues for clickable items
Clear separation of sections
Design
Identifying Look and Feel
I developed a Look and Feel slide deck to illustrate typography, colors, graphical styles, and uses for illustration. This collection of elements was used to show where the branding was headed and give our graphic designer inspiration for pieces to use across all media.
Color Palette
Georgia Tech Colors
Tech Gold
Navy Blue
White
DataWorks Colors
Nice Blue
Arylide Yellow
Accessible Color Combinations
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit
Typography
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Roboto Slab
Regular
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Source Sans 3
Regular
Graphical Styles
Corporate Memphis and Memphis Style
Abstract and Geometric Style
Doodle and Collage Style
Combinations
I wanted to look at ways we could combine some of these styles to create illustrations that matched the company more.
Corporate Memphis and Abstract
Characters with abstract features
Reusable abstract elements
Corporate Memphis and Doodles
Memphis style characters with doodles surrounding
Doodles that can be reused
Graphical Styles
Abstract Graphics for Services
Abstract Patterns for Backgrounds or White Spaces
Collages for Projects
Prototyping
Wireframing
Low-Fidelity
Home Page
Portfolio Page
Services Page
Research Page
Mid-Fidelity
Home Page
Portfolio Page
Services Page
Research Page
Develop
Final Website
Home Page
About and History Pages
Portfolio Page
Services Page
Curriculum Home Page
Wrapping Up
Lessons Learned
Concluding the project, I presented the final work to stakeholders. They liked the work I had done so much so that they continued to utilize the website and the branding across social media platforms.
I really enjoyed my time working at the company and on the project as a whole! I learned a lot of new skills in branding, design, UX, and web development. A few things I learned:
It is important to bounce ideas off other teammates. Just because I’m the only designer doesn’t mean I have to ideate by myself.
Being able to communicate your ideas and thought process is vital in being able to bring everyone on board or catch people up on what new design standards are being followed in the company.
There always needs to be a reason behind your choices no matter how small. It’s good to stop and think about why every choice matters because sometimes it could reveal larger issues.