The Challenge
Cadejo.dev wanted me to design an elegant brand for their new online education platform that would be inviting to coders of all experience levels. They felt the current styling of many online coding resources was too similar to the aesthetic that software developers are already comfortable with—such as monospace fonts and dark color palettes—that might turn away coding beginners. They wanted a brand that was bright, graceful, and welcoming.
The Solution
Since the name of the brand comes from Central American folklore of the cadejo, a spirit that resembles a dog, I wanted to bring this canine symbolism into the visual identity. The use of negative and positive space in the logomark represents the two mythical cadejos that travel together—one white and one dark. The gold gradient adds an elegance to the brand, while the secondary earth tones in the color palette offset the onyx and gold primary colors and prevents the visual identity from appearing too formal.
I chose a serif typeface as the headline typeface for this client as a nod to the educational purpose of their platform. While it brings the gravitas of being a serif, Source Serif Pro is an approachable, modern typeface that works well in digital spaces. It pairs nicely with Montserrat, an elegant typeface that is very legible at smaller type sizes and works well as the body font for an online resource where users will be doing a lot of reading.
Summary
The final product is a clean, modern, bright, elegant brand that invites the reader in while presenting a strong, professional tone.
