Branding Ergonomia
Build a strong personal and company identity.
“I’ve chosen to work with you not just for your excellent design skills, but primarily for your systemic vision and strategic approach. I see you as an experienced architect rather than just a skilled craftsman.”
– Julien Talbot, Founder, Ergonomia
When Julien from Ergonomia hit us up, he said, “Create and spread an image faithful to my values and activities so that those who resonate with it would want to work with me.”
His expertise was in Activity Ergonomics and The Economy of Functionality and Cooperation (EFC), concepts that are not known by many. Well, including us (initially).
For context, here’s what they mean:
- Activity Ergonomics: An approach that analyzes and optimizes real work situations to improve both worker performance and well-being.
- EFC: An economic model that prioritizes use over ownership, creating value through integrated solutions of goods and services
Some additional pointers he mentioned to us were that people hire him to address issues related to the deterioration of working conditions.
Julien would start off by conducting a “classic” ergonomic assessment, with the distinct approach of incorporating a deep understanding and integration of the company’s economic and strategic challenges into his analyses and recommendations.
These recommendations were then put into practice and training, directly influencing the company’s culture, and then its performance.
Julien is our first French client, so we took the challenge and wanted to make it special for him.
The Symbol
French brands usually want to convey sophistication, heritage, and artistry. Whether in fashion (Chanel, Dior) or luxury goods (LV, Hermès), they often give off the exclusive, classy, and minimalist vibes. That’s what we want to bring to Ergonomia.
We started off with the symbol. The previous logo was a blend of Julien’s brand and his company's brand. Firstly, it looks off. Secondly, it’s confusing.
It looks off because it looks like a million things happening at the same time. First, Julien’s name, with “O” strokes severely thickened. Second, the “ERGONOME” is just plain and boring. There’s no life to it.
We knew exactly what needed to be done. Ergonomia is a consulting brand. But not your ordinary one. Sounds cliché. But let me tell you how we at DL did it.
For a consulting brand like Ergonomia, the half-circle representing Julien and the management team as the business backbone is the most crucial element of the entire logomark. Why? Trust and stability. In consulting, clients seek stability, expertise, and leadership to guide them through challenges (deterioration of working conditions, increased turnovers and absenteeism, etc.). Without a solid backbone, the brand’s ability to foster collaboration and drive would falter. It helps to represent the dependability and ground approach of Ergonomia — extra plus points to represent Ergonomia as the thought leader in this space.
The first big circle represents the brand’s focus on fostering meaningful collaborations. In our minds, we thought…every collaborator, be it the management team, Julien, or employees, all bring their unique value and individuality to the collective vision of a project. A good partnership is the blood of Ergonomia and what keeps it running.
The smaller circle on the right conveys the idea of expanding horizons, breaking new ground, and reaching beyond established boundaries, while still having that connection with the other two elements.
The overall circular design embodies a sense of unity, continuity, and harmony. And when combined together, it creates a holistic system where every piece, just like every client, has its place and purpose.
As you can tell, Designlabb heavily focuses on the unique buying state (UBS) of the customer. Not the unique selling point (USP) of Ergonomia. That is:
- what challenges or pain points the customer is currently facing
- the urgency or triggers that drive their need for consulting services
- how they perceive value and trust during their decision-making phase
This is what makes brands we work with differentiated and stand out from the marketplace.
The Wordmark
For the Ergonomia wordmark, we went with the Space Grotesk font. This font fit the vibe we were going for perfectly. Space Grotesk is a clean, modern sans-serif with a little bit of personality. The letters have nice, smooth lines but also some subtle quirks — like those slightly rounded edges on the a’s and m’s. It strikes a great balance between being professional and approachable. Plus, Space Grotesk is just really easy to read. The letterforms are clear and legible, which is important for a brand name people need to be able to quickly recognize and remember.
We initially wanted to opt for a lowercase “E” but ended up going with the uppercase one instead. Why? It gives it more personality and stands out more. We wanted the logomark to have more presence and impact. The “E” has a more substantial visual weight that better matches the tone of the brand rather than feeling dwarfed or diminished.
Typography
Typography is extremely important for French brands. And yes, there’s a lot of writing for a consulting business. So this is a big deal. We need a typeface that works for consulting, works well in writing, and shows the brand personality. With the geometric logo, we decided to use Space Grotesk as the primary typeface, since it fits both modernity and tradition.
For the secondary typeface, we used Calluna Italic to add a touch of elegance and sophistication. Is it a must? I would say so. Since it’s a French brand. Also we want the brand to have its local identity.
Color
The colors weren’t just picked randomly — they’re here to tell a story. Most consulting brands stick to the usual boring, dull colors that honestly make you want to nap. But not Ergonomia. We wanted something that feels fresh and alive while still looking professional.
The Midnight Green? It’s all about showing depth and stability — like, “Hey, we’ve got this figured out.” And the Sky Blue? It’s the spark of creativity and innovation that makes the brand feel modern and approachable. Together, they hit the sweet spot between serious and fresh, making Ergonomia stand out without trying too hard.
Julien was absolutely sold on the color palette when we first presented it to him. He said the palette made the brand feel more dynamic and approachable, which was exactly the vibe we were aiming for. Safe to say, the colors didn’t just get approved — they were an instant hit. Now, he can’t stop talking about how they bring the brand’s personality to life.
Brand Elements and Mockups
Here’s our favorite part — putting together everything and showing how the brand elements are used. First, we need a proposal template, of course (honestly speaking, this makes or breaks the business since consulting businesses run on decks!)
We also made some pretty 1:1 Instagram mockups but don’t really have any practical use. But hey, still something nice to look at.
Business card mockups are a must. So we made some here. To show more of what we do, we made some flying ones too!
The Strategy
During the exchange we had with Julien, he seemed confused with his personal brand and company brand. Both seem to be separate entities yet common in terms of values, vision, and personality they project. So in Julien’s case, we strive for brand singularity.
Brand singularity is when the company brand, the CEO brand, and the employer brand are all synonymous. The “used-to-be” division becomes blurry.
As Concept Bureau said in their blog:
“The trifecta of consumer brand, the CEO’s personal brand and the company’s employer brand are all becoming the same thing.
Company boards are increasingly searching for ‘blue unicorns’ — leaders with powerful social presence who, as Peter Aceto, former CEO of Tangerine once said, “would rather engage in a Twitter conversation with a single customer than see our company attempt to attract the attention of millions in a coveted Superbowl commercial.”
Blue unicorn CEOs are no longer figureheads for the company brand, but rather direct expressions of the brand itself.”
It’s a powerful flywheel effect in which no matter who your brand reaches or how it reaches them, you can be certain it’s the same resounding message every time. Like Jeff Bezos, customers, and Amazon, they all stand for efficiency.
It's interesting to see how this is starting to be a norm for companies and personal brands. For Julien, is a matter of constantly reminding his audience that his personal values are woven into Ergonomia’s DNA. Whether people interact with him directly or experience Ergonomia through its services, they should feel the same essence.
