Case Study:
Visual Brand Identity & Design

A complete visual identity system for ARISE Human Capital, designed to show how the firm balances people and performance across digital and print.

Industry: HR Consulting Services

The Challenge

ARISE helps leaders create workplaces where people and performance rise together. Their previous look didn’t reflect that. They needed an identity that felt warm and human without losing the credibility expected of a consulting firm, and one that could hold its own next to large, established competitors.

The Approach

Brand development was a collaborative effort. I worked alongside a co-strategist who led brand messaging, target audience definition and written brand guidance.

I led the visual strategy and execution, making sure the look and feel of the brand supported its positioning.

My role focused on:

Translating brand strategy into a cohesive visual system
Leading all visual exploration and design decisions
Building an identity that could be applied consistently across platforms

The Solution

The brand strategy rested on one idea: humanity and performance belong together. Every visual decision came back to that balance.

Visual direction.

I developed the visual direction over two rounds of mood boards. After ARISE gave feedback on the first round, the revised direction set calm, grounded wellness against bold, transformative energy. As part of that revision, the palette moved from a light blue to charcoal, which gave the identity more weight in professional settings. I also placed the direction next to the visual identities of major competitors to make sure ARISE would stand apart.

The logo.

The swirl is built around upward motion. The inner swirl represents humanity, growth and empowerment. The outer layer builds on that energy to represent potential being unleashed, and a clean geometric tip signals continuous advancement. The tip comes in three colours, each with a purpose: charcoal for formal and small-scale uses, teal for internal materials and presentations, and coral for marketing and storytelling, where more energy and emotion are needed.

Colour, type and imagery.

The palette pairs deep teal, sage and charcoal for groundedness with deep sand and coral for warmth and energy. Open Sans keeps the type approachable and easy to read. For imagery, I chose photos of people who look relaxed, open and confident, balancing wellness with high performance.

Bringing it to the website.

In the second phase of the project, I gave recommendations for applying the new identity to the ARISE website, including updated imagery, colour use across the site and design treatments built around the swirl.

Visual Identity System

Logo System:

Primary logo, with full-length and shortened versions
Tip variations (coral, teal and charcoal)
Black and white versions
Horizontal and stacked versions

Brand System Overview:

Colour palette (deep teal, sage, deep sand, charcoal and coral)
Typography system
Visual guidelines and supporting elements

Brand Applications:

Business card designs (four variations)
Social media templates
Presentation (PowerPoint) template

Visual Direction & Assets:

Mood boards (two rounds of visual direction)
Curated stock imagery
Website visual recommendations

The Outcome & Why It Mattered

ARISE now has a clear, professional identity that expresses both sides of who they are: deeply human and focused on results.

Every logo variation and file format was prepared so ARISE can use the brand across print, web and presentations without redesign. The identity is in use on the ARISE website and supporting materials, and the brand guidebook gives their team clear direction on using it.

ARISE has since come back to HPR Creative to design their conference booth banners, carrying the identity into event materials.

“Heather quickly understood what we were building and trying to communicate. The creative process was enjoyable, allowing for exchanges and discussion on different possible directions, as well as efficient.”

- Tamara, Chief Operating Officer