PROJECT:  Creating a visual brand design language for Kobalt tools

CLIENT:  Lowe's

What does a brand look like? What does that look mean to consumers? How do you consistently apply the look to hundreds of products? These were the problems Lowe's wanted us to solve when they asked us to create a Visual Brand Design Language for their in-house brand of Kobalt tools.

To answer “What should Kobalt look like?” we studied their target market and then identified the cultural and visual references that had significance for this group. We found that for these consumers, objects with straight lines, facets and tight gaps were perceived to have precision, technology and quality. We then utilized these attributes and put them together with colors, textures & other visuals that were unique to the Kobalt brand.

Consistent application is key to establishing a recognizable Visual Brand Design Language. Lowe's has dozens of manufacturing vendors who make the hundreds of products in the Kobalt line. To ensure that these various vendors use our visual design details consistently, we created a detailed reference guide specifying how to apply the Visual Brand Design Language to any Kobalt product.

The Kobalt Visual Brand Design Language Guide is now used by the vendors and has greatly increased Lowe's development efficiency.

>> See examples of the Kobalt Tools we designed for Lowe's
>> Learn more about our Strategic Product Development Services.