Upbound
Overview
What is Upbound
Upbound is a cloud computing company focused on creating and managing universal control planes for multi-cloud and hybrid environments. Their platform enables developers and DevOps teams to deploy and manage applications across various ,cloud providers with a consistent, automated experience. Establishing distinctive corporate identities for Upbound and its secondary brands Crossplane and Rook in the cloud computing field versus competitors. The goal of all these brands is to assist developers using Kubernetes, which breaks down barriers and enables multi-cloud flexibility.
My contribution
Brand design Product design
The team
1 × product designer 1 × engineers
Year
2018 - 2020
Process
The Problem
Upbound operated multiple cloud platforms, each with its own branding and visual identity. This led to an inconsistent brand representation, which diluted overall brand awareness and made it difficult to build strong customer loyalty. Additionally, the company’s website and marketing materials were not effectively supporting product launches or sales efforts, potentially slowing down time-to-market.
The Goal
As the Lead Visual Designer, my mission was to unify and strengthen Upbound's brand identity to drive recognition and trust. My key contributions were to:
- Consolidate Brand Identity: Manage and unify the visual identity across multiple cloud platforms, creating and maintaining comprehensive brand guidelines.
- Accelerate Marketing Efforts: Lead a critical website update project, collaborating with cross-functional teams to redesign and streamline the site using Sketch.
- Develop Comprehensive Marketing Assets: Design the full spectrum of promotional materials, including email campaigns, social media graphics, trade show assets, logos, merchandise, and presentations to ensure a cohesive market presence.
We positioned Upbound as a unique and delightful alternative in a crowded market. To embody its core value of 'freedom of movement,' I developed a visual language using fluid illustrations and an open color palette, directly translating the concept of developer choice into a compelling brand identity."
Outcome
The unified brand strategy and updated website directly contributed to accelerating product release dates by two weeks, significantly boosting marketing agility. The consistent and elevated visual identity across all touchpoints strengthened brand recognition, fostered customer loyalty, and provided a solid, scalable foundation for Upbound’s growth in the competitive cloud platform market.