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Paddl is a platform that enables its users to stay work ready by capturing everyday learning and turning it into a global experience profile. As the head of design I visually realised the product and brand — not just once but twice.
As Paddl started it's venture out in the world I came onboard to create the first round of branding, initially having the name being literally represented. With a couple of years of growing and learning it was time to simplify it as Paddl no longer was just a singular product but a community expanding on all fronts requiring a solid symbol to be built upon.
Moving away from the abstract concept we created a mark that encapsulates infinite experience through Paddl. Elements hinting at a personal journey and growing through skills also tie into it.
With a more sophisticated purple (nicknamed 'Paddl plum') as the main brand colour the secondary swatches are a complementary sequence embodying the different Activity categories available to add and showcase in the app.
What started out as a simple job listing app connecting recent graduates to employers is now a platform for people to easily add in their experiences through an ever-growing selection of Activities, from reading a book to holding a masterclass.
A custom framework with UI elements was created together with developers as part of a larger design system also encompassing brand assets such as icons and artwork. The components then went live and were kept in sync using Storybook.
A crucial part of the product is the Paddl Profile encompassing a Summary overview highlighting the user's key stats / skills, listing all Activities gathered, and more. The user is able to strengthen their profile by following the guiding steps prompted in the right-hand side menu.
In order to create an incentive for users to keep returning to the app and build upon their profiles the process was gamified slightly by offering badges that can be acquired only when unlocking a certain activity.
Paddl has also expanded into 'Innovation Games' events - IRL and online - where users get to flex their skills to partnered companies such as ABC and Canon by coming up with bright solutions to real business challenges. Thus creating more sustainable communities and bridging Paddl talent to the industries.
A few highlights from the Paddl journey:
Created the brand and visual language (x2)
Prototyped the app
Built a custom UI component system
Managed marketing design, incl. artwork direction and production