Black Tech Talent

Rebrand (Case Study)

Olabanji Stephen
5 min readJun 11, 2024

Crafting a brand identity that honors your history while propelling you forward is a nuanced challenge.

Knowing your visual identity needs to be better and yet the struggle to not appear unrecognizable to your existing audience.

At ggrik, we’ve danced this delicate jig more times than we can count, seeing it as a chance to flex our creative muscles.
So, when Black Tech Talent (BTT) and Egobee came knocking, asking us to give their brand a facelift, we accepted the task, recognizing the weight of the responsibility. Who better?

BTT has grown from a small tech tribe into a global powerhouse, boasting over 7000 members, 100+ big-name clients, and a trophy cabinet overflowing with awards. From rubbing shoulders with senators on Capitol Hill to getting shout-outs in Sky News and USA Today, they’ve made their mark as the go-to hub for Black tech wizards.

Midway through a hefty $3 million fundraising sprint, the urgency of sprucing up their look became crystal clear.
Their brief? “Shake things up, but don’t lose our vibe. Oh, and can you do it…like yesterday?”

Challenge accepted!

Our approach began with a thorough examination of BTT’s DNA, dissecting its past positioning to chart a course for its future trajectory. We understood the significance of retaining the essence of their iconic “B” logomark while infusing it with a renewed sense of clarity and distinction.

Drawing inspiration from the core tenets of BTT’s ideology, we crafted four key elements to serve as pillars of their communication strategy. These elements, simple yet profound, formed the basis of their visual identity, lending authenticity and depth to their brand narrative.

To ensure consistency and cohesion, we introduced a subtle yet impactful pattern derived from these elements, infusing their visual identity with a touch of sophistication and flair.

Think simple, yet punchy — the kind of stuff that speaks volumes without saying a word.

In selecting primary colors, we opted for the timeless pairing of black and white, anchoring the brand in a classic aesthetic while exploring a diverse palette of secondary hues to convey vibrancy and versatility.

For typography, we turned to Outfit, a contemporary Sans Serif typeface renowned for its adaptability and modern appeal. Much like Apple’s iconic Helvetica or San Francisco, Outfit exudes confidence and complements BTT’s dynamic spirit effortlessly.

Outfit is a one-type-fits-all.

“Be the resource,” BTT’s tagline, transcends mere words to embody their ethos entirely. It’s their whole vibe wrapped up in three words. So, we gave it the spotlight it deserves, spinning it off into its own little sub-brand with its own look and feel.

We also created a tech conversation bubble to be paired with patterns to create engaging conversations on social media (one of the major touchpoints of BTT)

We also spruced up their online home. Redesigning it to be user-friendly, visually stunning, and host all the features that keep the BTT community engaged

Although it was outside our scope, creating the visual application for Events was a no-brainer since events are a key touch point of BTT’s brands.

We’re all about going above and beyond.

In a nutshell, teaming up with BTT and Egobee was like mixing business with pleasure — blending strategy with creativity to give a brand on the rise the refresh it deserves.

See the full case study on Behance

Work done:

Brand Strategy
Brand Identity Design

Date

2024

Client

Black Tech Talent

Brand Design

ggrik

Ggrik Team:

Olabanji Stephen
Creative Direction, Brand Strategy, Brand design, Motion design, UI/UX

Goodness Abba
Brand Strategy, Copywriting

Precious Obiakarike
Project Manager

Muyiwa Oladosu
Motion Design

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Olabanji Stephen

I see the world differently and attempt to interpret it in ways that inspire genius