Blaze Social Media
Blazing New Trails: Connecting Adults, One Relationship at a Time​​
Project Type: Brand Identity Design (Logo Design + Brand Style Guide Development)
Project overview
Blaze is a fictional social media platform designed to foster deeper, more authentic connections among adults in a digital space. The goal was to build a brand identity and visual system that would stand out in a crowded social media market while resonating with a mature audience.
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Role: Sole Designer & End-to-end Voice/Tonality Developer
Deliverables: Logo, brand style guide, social media template
Tools: Illustrator, InDesign
Industry: Technology & Digital Marketing
Duration: 10/31/2024 – 12/16/2024
Objectives
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Create a compelling, differentiated brand identity for Blaze
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Develop a visual style, logo system, and brand guidelines
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Design collateral such as social media templates and other brand assets
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Ensure coherence, scalability, and emotional appeal in the identity
Design approach
Embodying Human-Centered Storytelling
I centered the design approach around warmth, connection, and approachability. Because Blaze is about fostering genuine interactions, I aimed to express a human, friendly tone (rather than cold tech). That meant choosing colors, typographic systems, and logo elements that felt alive and inclusive—not slick and sterile.
Process work
Visual design development
Designing Blaze’s visual identity was a delightful and creative journey that perfectly reflects the brand’s warm, community-focused personality.
​Color palette
Choosing the color palette was all about channeling Blaze’s approachable vibe. Earthy autumn tones like Cornell Red and Spanish Orange evoke feelings of warmth and connection, while classic black adds a touch of sophistication. This harmonious blend ensures every design feels inviting and unmistakably Blaze.
Typography
For typography, I opted for clean, modern typefaces like Eurostile and Oswald. These fonts maintain clarity and readability while capturing the brand’s approachable, vibrant personality. The typographic hierarchy was carefully structured to guide the viewer’s eye, from bold headlines to easy-to-read body text.
Primary logo
Designing the primary logo for Blaze was all about capturing the essence of connection and warmth in a single, impactful mark. I combined a sleek, modern wordmark with a brandmark inspired by a flame, symbolizing the spark of meaningful relationships and the energy of vibrant communities. The clean lines and warm tones reflect Blaze’s approachable and inclusive personality while ensuring the logo is bold, legible, and versatile. Whether displayed on a website, social media, or printed materials, the primary logo consistently communicates the brand’s core values and stands as a beacon of authenticity and trust.
Secondary logo
The secondary logo was crafted with flexibility and adaptability in mind, ensuring Blaze’s identity shines in every context. This version simplifies the design into a streamlined brandmark, perfect for small spaces or minimalistic layouts, like app icons or embossed print materials. By maintaining the integrity of the primary logo’s style, the secondary logo offers versatility without losing its connection to the brand’s visual identity. Its ability to adapt seamlessly across various mediums ensures Blaze remains recognizable and impactful, no matter where it’s displayed.
Brand style guide
Finally, the brand style guide ties it all together, serving as a creative compass for maintaining consistency across all designs. From logo usage rules to layout systems, it ensures every piece of collateral—from social media posts to brochures—reflects Blaze’s fun, quirky, and inclusive spirit. Together, these elements bring the brand’s personality to life, making every interaction with Blaze feel like a warm conversation with an old friend.
Social media template
Creating the social media template was like designing the ultimate digital party invitation—it had to be vibrant, engaging, and totally on-brand. I focused on a clean, flexible layout that keeps the spotlight on content while seamlessly incorporating Blaze’s signature colors and playful personality. The design features plenty of room for bold headlines, eye-catching visuals, and fun, quirky captions that feel like they’re straight from a friend. Whether it’s announcing a new feature or sparking conversations, this template is all about keeping their community connected and inspired, one scroll at a time.
Challenges & solutions
Challenge: Blaze is entering a saturated market, so the brand needed to differentiate without feeling gimmicky.
Solution: Lean into warmth and humanity. Instead of competing on futuristic “techy” visuals, I emphasized emotional resonance — approachable color, organic curves, friendly tone.
Challenge: The identity had to scale well — from small icons to large hero graphics.
Solution: I simplified the mark to a shape that can work as a glyph on its own, and tested legibility at small sizes.
Challenge: Making a fictional product feel real and credible.
Solution: I designed mockups, collateral, and usage contexts (e.g. social media templates, brand guidelines) to visualize how Blaze would present itself in-market.
Deliverables
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Logo Suite & Supporting Visuals: Designed a flexible logo system including a full wordmark, simplified icon, and emblem variations.
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Brand Style Guide: Defined and showcased Blaze’s complete visual identity—covering the logo suite, color palette, typography, and layout principles. The document established a consistent visual and tonal direction across all mediums, with clear usage rules, spacing standards, and real-world mockups demonstrating brand application.
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Social Media Template: Produced ready-to-use layout for posts, stories, and advertisements, demonstrating real-world brand application.
Outcome & reflection
The brand identity landed as a warm, human, and expressive visual voice. It showcases my ability to build a complete brand system from concept to execution and visualize how it could function in the real world. The process strengthened my skills in visual strategy, design consistency, and storytelling through design.
Final thoughts
This project reinforced that every design decision—typography, color, layout, and logo versatility—shapes emotion and trust. Blaze became more than just a visual identity; it evolved into a symbol of authentic connection and human warmth in a digital space. Creating Blaze allowed me to express a brand voice rooted in care, inclusivity, and sincerity—values central to both my design philosophy and personal ethos.
If expanded further, I’d bring Blaze to life through interactive prototypes, motion capturing the “spark” of connection, and community-driven features that visually embody meaningful engagement.
Disclaimer
​​Blaze is a social media company conceptualized by the creative minds at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) as part of the GRA-360 Designing a Brand Identity course. Created solely for educational purposes, any resemblance to real businesses is purely coincidental. Blaze’s features, mission, and story are entirely hypothetical—a spark of creativity brought to life 🔥!