(Work)
Big Nerd Ranch
Spurring a tech brand’s evolution
Intro
New mission. New identity. New hat.
When Big Nerd Ranch first contacted Matchstic, it was to clarify a question of identity: were they a training organization or an app development firm?
As their field matured, Big Nerd Ranch’s work had drifted away from their original offering of coding bootcamps. They’d developed a reputation as an engineering firm in their own right, consulting on projects for some of tech’s most innovative players.
Through a full-scale strategy project, we helped them uncover that both of these offerings served a single core purpose: Build Brilliance
To match their new position, Matchstic embarked on an ambitious refresh of Big Nerd Ranch’s brand, developing a bold and warm look that would feel at home on the ranch and serve the intricacy of their innovative work.
Before
After
We were careful to incorporate elements from their legacy visuals, including their well-loved logo: a cowboy hat topped with a propeller. Pulling the propeller into the brim of the hat, we were able to signal both Big Nerd Ranch’s process of infinite reimagining and their ability to propel clients forward.
To complete the look, we paired Big Nerd’s new hat with a color palette filled with organic hues, trading ubiquitous digital black for earthy browns.
We chose some well-wrought typefaces and a photography style that focused on the end users of Big Nerd Ranch’s work, stressing human experiences over technical imagery.
Their new print pieces use wide-open layouts, embodying open terrain and unbound possibility.
Finally, we ensured that we maintained Big Nerd Ranch’s sense of whimsy and sense of humor with a custom set of playful pixel icons.
Knowing that we were creating a brand for an organization filled with tinkerers, coders, and designers, we designed the brand as a foundation for future growth. It’s jam-packed with swagger, in-jokes, and potential. We can’t wait to see where our partners take it.
