Compocity is an innovative company that simplifies the indoor composting process. Together with several large companies, they are encouraging communities to replace unsustainable practices. To help them achieve their new goals, they wanted us to redesign their app, and at the same time, we started working together on an identity level.
Compocity provides a gamified sustainability service for companies to transform their food leftovers
The client is becoming more and more known in its field, thanks to new innovative solutions. However, their app could no longer keep up with their impressive growth, so it was time to rethink the app. Looking through the materials, our team noticed that although the design style was moving in the same direction, it could not stay consistent. Therefore, we felt it was right to start the task not only with the design of the app, but also to align the brand voice itself.
Looking through the previous artwork, we saw that owners were clearly looking for a more drawn, looser graphic solution. However, we found artistic, comic book-style graphics, but also simpler, more childish material, as well as plain logoed photos. Quite simply, there was noise throughout the brand and they just chose the graphic look that was at hand. Therefore, we suggest that this should be brought together as a whole, as this is how the material will be recognisable and usable.
We looked at and tried out several different graphic directions, but it became clear that very detailed drawn graphics would not be appropriate, as there is no time for a designer to spend days drawing even a single Facebook post. This is not sustainable.
While searching for styles, we finally developed a hand-drawn direction that can be sustainably mutated for multiple situations. We started to put together a character library which consisted of the following parts: the face base is the same regardless of gender, but the facial expressions, hair, different accessories are freely interchangeable, so they can be mutated indefinitely. The character's body is only shown up to the top. The posture that suits the situation is set using the pose app and redrawn to suit the new style. This way, a library of these postures is built up continuously and becomes repeatable over time. We like a mixed style so we use real photos here and there for the graphics.
The aim was to create a more transparent, modern and noise-free app with a new look and feel. Fortunately, the client felt the same way about the new app and work progressed quickly. We kept the main features of the old app, but tried to clarify the main purpose of the app: scanning the compobot. In addition, a process was started to develop an incentive scheme to encourage the user to use the compobot. Development was the responsibility of the Splendex team, with whom we were able to work smoothly and quickly throughout the process.
The new app and the new brand directions have clearly generated a positive response from the client and its partners. But the work has only just begun and there is still a long way to go for both the brand, the app and the client. We hope to accompany them along the way and nurture an image that supports this great cause.