Project Summary
HappyCow has been loved and cherished by veg*ans globally for 22 years, but now the landscape is changing and veg*anism is becoming more mainstream than ever. As they evolve and continue striving to suit the needs of their users' communities and the current landscape, HappyCow decided it was time for a brand refresh. I was tasked with creating a timeless logo that reflects HappyCow's purpose, distinctive character and ethos. The goal of the new logo was to get brand alignment, a more modern look and feel, and applicability across digital platforms and offline touchpoints.
Original logo:
Client: HappyCow
Project: logo redesign
Role: Brand Designer
Tools: Figma
Time: Nov 2021
The Challenge
While many have found the existing logo “cute”, “happy” and “friendly”, recent survey results have suggested an opportunity to enhance the branding and logo (a significant number of HappyCow users described it as “childish”, “old-fashioned” and “unprofessional”). The new logo also had to modernize HappyCow to appeal to a broader community, inviting more people to connect.
The Solution
The logo is an accessible, modern depiction of a happy cow (a bit on the nose). The cow is made up of freeform shapes to give it a friendly, approachable look and feel. I included negative space in the spot around the left eye and mouth to play on the classic depiction of a white cow when the icon is set against a white background.
The font is Nexa, a geometric sans-serif typeface. It fits the HappyCow brand in its simplicity, recognizability, and modern design. Available in 16 font styles and weights, Nexa is a versatile font family that is known for excellent legibility in both digital and print media. It can be used for headlines and body text. In a memorable touch, I curved the crossbar of the capital H in a smile. This allows for the HappyCow brand identity to be displayed in the wordmark if it was to stand alone.
Together, the icon and wordmark create a distinctive logo that embodies the HappyCow brand and appeals to the market audience. It’s memorable and recognizable on digital platforms, marketing/promotional assets, and more. This logo will resonate with current HappyCow users and encourage new users to discover the joys of vegetarian and vegan eating.
