Publiq

About the role

Publiq is a community engagement app focused on the construction, energy, and local government sectors. It functions as an interactive bulletin board where organizations share news, updates, and project progress, while residents and stakeholders can respond, ask questions, participate in polls or surveys, and voice concerns.

This project began with a request for a new logo and evolved into a complete visual identity, web design, and brand messaging overhaul. The process included a brand sprint workshop to explore core values, purpose, target audience, personality, and brand story, aligning expectations for a website redesign and laying the foundation for subsequent phases.

Brand Concept

During the exploratory phase, we audited Publiq’s existing website and marketing materials, building on insights from the brand sprint. The brand concept centers on the idea: transformation should connect, not divide. Inspired by the umarelli—elderly Italian men who observe construction sites with curiosity—Publiq embraces this curiosity to foster meaningful engagement, turning barriers into bridges.

The resulting visual identity aligns with Publiq’s vision and feels authentic to its team and audience.

Logo Development

The logo development process involved exploring symbolism and distinctiveness, experimenting with shapes, combinations, and weights to balance clarity, flexibility, and brand recognition. The final logo icon resembles the letter “P” while symbolizing Publiq’s human-centric mission of connecting developers, local governments, and residents. It is used across brand assets and as the app icon.

Brand Guidelines

To ensure consistency, we created a comprehensive brand book outlining key aspects of Publiq’s visual identity, including:

• Logo usage
• Color palette
• Typography
• Imagery and illustration style
• Tone of voice

The guidelines provide a clear, practical foundation for Publiq’s internal team and external collaborators.

Color Palette & Typography

The color palette balances clarity and energy, using off-black and white for text-heavy sections to ensure readability. Vibrant accent colors—green, yellow, pink, and blue—are used in illustrations and text-free sections for a fresh, modular design.

Typography features Wix Madefor Display for bold headings and Wix Madefor Text for readable body copy, both modern Google Fonts suited for a SaaS company.

Photography

The photography style captures real people and genuine moments in public spaces, reflecting Publiq’s community focus. Prioritizing high-quality images with natural outdoor lighting, neutral tones, and subtle branding, the approach emphasizes authenticity, diversity, inclusivity, and positive emotions.

Illustration Style

A custom vector illustration style was developed to communicate abstract concepts in a simple and friendly manner. Themes include residents in public spaces, construction sites, and community life, using solid colors and negative space for clean, modern visuals. The palette is limited to one brand color with black and white for consistency and recognition.

Brand Messaging and Tone of Voice

Working with Publiq’s team, we refined messaging to resonate with diverse audience groups using the Jobs to be Done framework. This involved crafting clear, impactful messages for product value propositions and a playful tone for lighter contexts like merchandise or advertising.

The resulting Voice & Tone guidelines, included in the brand book, align with Publiq’s values and positioning.

Wireframing, Content Design & Web Copywriting

We defined modular website components adaptable to different content needs, improving information hierarchy, navigation, and user experience. The layout optimizes button placement to align with the customer journey and sales funnel.

Copy drafts were crafted based on established messaging and refined through collaborative feedback, preparing wireframes for visual and technical development.

Web Design

The website design is simple, clean, and functional, using an 8-point grid system for spacing and alignment. A white background allows for modular rearrangement, while buttons remain black and white, reserving colors for visuals. Photography and illustration serve distinct purposes, guided by a clear logic.

A web style guide and UI library ensure consistency and flexibility for building new pages. The fully responsive design works across all devices, resulting in a structured, easy-to-navigate website.

Testimonials

• “We were looking for a boutique studio to collaborate with, and I’m so glad we found yours. From day one, you brought dedication and care to this project. We’re absolutely thrilled with the result and so are our customers. Thank you.”
• “The collaboration has been inspiring, constructive, and full of energy – just how you'd want a rebranding to go. Publiq looks amazing. Thanks to your dedication and creativity, we now have a brand that truly stands strong.”

Project Team

• Client: Publiq
• Visual identity: Tamara Shirin Shawkatová
• Web design: Tamara Shirin Shawkatová
• Copywriting: Katy Mrvová
• Web development: SUM Digital

Deliverables

• Logo & visual identity
• Brand guidelines
• Brand & communication assets
• Web design
• Copywriting & messaging