Goodwill's Brand Guide

Goodwill is a non-profit organization that helps around 2.1 million people in Goodwill services. Over 128,998 individuals were supported in job searching and career growth, along with services offered in affordable and sustainable used items for sale relying on donations to support those in need.

Skills
Market Research
Brand and Identity
Illustrations

Tools
Figjam
Adobe InDesign
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop

Timeline
14 Weeks

The Problem

Goodwill has been known for their physical store and amazing used items for affordability in each location worldwide. However, there is a lack of support for its online users, missing out on potential donations and digital engagement, especially from our younger audience.

My Role

I adopted a product-thinking and human-centered approach to address these challenges. This involved conducting market research to understand my audience and revamping the organization's brand and identity.

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Market Research

Desk Research

Design Process

Principles

Final Design

Market Research

History of Goodwill

Goodwill Industries® was founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1902 by Edgar J. Helms. Helms would collect used household goods and clothing in wealthy areas of the city, then hire and train people who were poor to repair the items. Their wages were paid from the revenue generated when the goods were resold.

Field Research Insights

Product Sections
Goodwill’s organizational system is split between fitting rooms, shoes, jewelry, books, men's/women's clothing, children’s clothing, and furniture. I noticed that the jewelry section is near the entrance to make customers look at those items first.

Customers
Families and friend groups would visit the store to browse for thrifted items or seek used furniture in good condition. There are a couple solo shoppers that typically look around and start window shopping.

Store Signs
The iconic square logo outside the store differs slightly from the one I researched online. Additionally, I noticed their store hours at the entrance, and ceiling signs designed to assist customers in finding their way to specific sections like women's clothing, furniture, books, and more.

Competitive Analysis

The Salvation Army

In comparsion to Goodwill, the Salvation Army has a broader mission that includes providing social services, disaster relief, and assistance to those in need. They operate various programs, including food assistance, addiction recovery, and homeless shelters.

What I learned

1. Straightforward
Their cover section talks about natural disasters that people face and the services they provided, which directs viewers to check out their donation page or learn more.

2. Brand Color
Their main color is clearly red. There is no different shades of color present in the homepage. This makes their brand personality strong and consistent.

Target Market

Consumers who seeking affordable and sustainable used items.

1. Young adults who loves thrift shopping
Age range: 18-24 years old
Gender: 50% male, 50% female
Job titles: Students, volunteer

Psychographics
• Seeks affordable and cost-effective options for fashion and household items.
• Enjoys the thrill of finding unique treasures at lower prices.

2. Families that are settled down
Age range: 25-32 years old
Gender: 50% male, 50% female
Job titles: mid-level professionals

Psychographics
• Prioritizes family needs and shopping for both partners and children.
• May look for specific items to complement their existing wardrobe or home decor.

Desk Research – Why a brand guide?

1. Goodwill's Inconsistencies

Goodwill does not have an official design system to unify the branding experience. As a result, each goodwill location across each state and countries make up their own foundation, confusing consumers with Goodwill’s image. Additionally, this creates inconsistencies within the brand and conflict with stakeholders' perspective on marketing the company. An example on the right shows 9 different Goodwill logos.

2. Different Goodwill Websites

The four websites shown are Goodwill store locations in different regions. In just the homepage alone, there are multiple inconsistencies shown across each platform. These examples include structure, content presentation, and functionality. Each website looks like they are not part of the same organization. The only consistent element among them are the shades of blue.

3. CSS Stats

I used CSS stats to analyze goodwill.org fonts, background, colors and spacing. I use this as a tool to visually analyzes layout, colors, and fonts in a stylesheet language. It used to describe the presentation of a document written in HTML or XML.

In total, there are:
124 Font Sizes
147 Background Colors
177 Font Colors
170+ Unique Spacing

4. A brand guide from Redwood Empire 

Goodwill has an existing brand guide from their Redwood Empire location, but it's not a universal standard guide for all Goodwill websites as it's advertised as their own location.

What I learned...

Inconsistency

Each Goodwill logos appears differently across multiple locations, which lacks the consistency in marketing the brand.

No Personality

The only thing that makes Goodwill have personality is the smiley face logo. Everything else feels like there is no thought being put into their voice and tone.

Lack of Structure

There's an existing brand guide for only one goodwill location. This could be misleading to present goodwill as a whole company.

Project Goals

What do I want to accomplish?

A New Identity

To help keep the brand consistent, enhancing their brand identity would help bring in more younger consumers to shop at goodwill. This will involve making a new logo and enhance their imagery style.

Inclusivity

I want to make sure Goodwill meets accessibility requirements for each store and website, making everyone welcome to visit the store without feeling left out.

Positivity

Changing Goodwill's voice and tone would reflect on their mission towards their intention in helping out their consumers with affordable; used items for their personal use.

Design Process

The process of making a new logo

50+ Logo Sketches

Creating an impactful logo design is crucial for conveying a company's message and values. To achieve that, I have put my best efforts into crafting various logo designs for Goodwill. My aim was to incorporate the intended meaning and underlying message of positivity that Goodwill promotes in these designs.

Finding the right typeface and font

From my experience of being a graphic designer, I have often find it challenging to find the right typeface. That's why I decided to compare and contrast typefaces that are legible and easy to understand, while also being clean and visually appealing.

Combining logos and type together

After finding the right typeface, I combined my top 12 logos to see which would be the best fit for the final version. After receiving feedback from my peers, I concluded that the globe would be the perfect choice as it symbolizes sustainability for the environment, and a smiley face represents happiness and positivity.

Different globe styles

One of the feedback I receive is that the details of the globe is too simplified. I went ahead and make 6 iterations and ask for feedback from my peers. I ended up with the third option since the lines resembles a globe more than the rest.

Principles

Inclusivity and Positivity

The principles of the brand guide is what lets consumers trust in the brand. I wanted to highlight the 4 ground principles that Goodwill will follow by simplifying them into the "HEAR" method. 

1. Heartfelt

Express our sincerity through empathy. We value communication that deeply resonate with the
well-being of individuals and the community.

2. Encouragement

Extend words of encouragement to those seeking support, whether it be through job training, education, or any of the services provided by Goodwill.

3. Approachable

Cultivate an approachable and inviting tone, ensuring information is easily accessible and encouraging open communication.

4. Respectful

Communicate with unwavering respect and dignity, recognizing the challenges individuals may encounter and celebrating their strengths and accomplishments.

Design Interation

Setting up the brand guide

The Final Look

Takeaways

1. Every detail matters

Since I am rebranding an entire company, I had to be cautious about reconstructing their new image. Making the logo was supposed to be an easy task for me, but I realized it is not as simple as I thought.

2. Time Constraints

The goal was to get this brand guide done in a matter of 14 weeks, but I felt like I wanted to add more necessary solutions to the problem. One of them is to create a component library. However, I felt like focusing on the brand itself and understanding its customers first is what needs to be done first.

3. Learn as I go

As a product designer, I do not know everything. Although, I was able to keep an open mind and understand how this guide would represent the company with their mission, goals, and objectives.