ITS is a female-owned local business that provides tax services to small businesses. As the lead designer, I assisted in brand strategy sessions for competitive analysis, where we identified our target audience: primarily female entrepreneurs and small businesses. After using a brand audit to set a baseline of design needs, I conceptualized a simple and organic brand mark that was inspired by the business owner's mission of creating ripples of connection to the community. The logo mark for Integrated Tax Services is a piece of a larger brand family, and is meant to pair well with the parent company ‘Johnson Bixby’ and the sister company ‘Ripple Academy’. 

We used a light, airy, and modern serif typeface, and through the use of organic graphic elements, typesetting, and black and white photography, we were able to create a system that fit well for the target audience and allowed room for full-color photography to really speak to the story of small business owners. The successful rebranding of ITS accurately reflected the business owner's vision and resonated with the target audience, aided by the cohesive design system, which included typographic standards, color schemes, graphic elements, print standards, photographic guidelines, packaging, and website redesign, helping to attract more clients.

During the creation of the new ITS website, UX research played a significant role in informing the design direction. We used user feedback, heatmaps and Google Analytics data to gain insight into the needs and preferences of our target audience. This research helped us identify the priorities for the website's information architecture, allowing us to prioritize content and make it easier for users to find the information they need. The visual design of the website was informed by the new ITS brand, which we had recently created as part of a larger rebranding effort. In the new design we utilized interactive elements to create a modern and engaging look and feel, while staying true to the marketing brand guidelines.