THE DMI ECOSYSTEM
I was tasked with creating a new brand identity for Development Measures International (DMI) Limited, a multipurpose–private limited company registered in Uganda, that delivers Agriculture, Logistics, and Construction Services.
The vision for DMI is to build an integrated business ecosystem for agriculture, construction, and logistics. The business ecosystem aims to enable smallholder farmers (SHFs) to engage in agriculture as economic enterprises by providing quality inputs, technical advisory, technology, and market access, facilitated through a rural producer cooperative model. As farmers prosper, DMI plans to link farmers to save with NSSF and affordable credit, as well as provide them with low-cost housing through its construction arm, enabling farmers to thrive and have decent housing.
This job involved a large amount of strategy work including conducting market research and analyzing market trends, performing a comprehensive competitor analysis for the agriculture and construction industries, as well as creating an analysis on how to stand out. I also identified the target audience and developed personas, and with the client defined the brand purpose—mission, vision, personality, and voice.
Once the strategy and groundwork were complete, I created two mood boards and creative directions based on the research. After the client selected their preferred direction, I developed more refined logo suggestions aligned with that direction. The client chose a favorite, and I refined the chosen direction with appropriate fonts and a color palette, created logo variations, and designed the necessary brand assets. Finally, I created the Brand Identity Guidelines and a brand presentation.
The Scope of Work
User Personnas
Creating personas and defining a target group is crucial in branding work because they provide a deep understanding of your audience, allowing you to tailor your brand message to resonate with those most likely to engage with your brand. Personas, which are realistic profiles of ideal customers, help identify the specific needs, motivations, and pain points of different customer segments. This understanding ensures your brand communication is relevant and compelling, fostering a stronger connection with your audience. Defining a target group enables consistent messaging across all brand touchpoints, enhancing brand recognition and trust. It also ensures that your products and services align with the needs of your audience, leading to greater customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Focusing on a specific target group also allows for more efficient resource allocation, improving marketing ROI by concentrating efforts on those most likely to convert. Understanding your target group also provides a competitive advantage by enabling you to differentiate your brand through unique offerings that address specific needs. As your brand evolves, these insights allow for adaptability, ensuring continued relevance in the market. Personas and target group definitions are foundational elements in building a brand that genuinely connects with and serves its audience, driving long-term success.
The logo symbol represents the 3 departments in DMI, Logistrics, Construction and Agriculture.
Each department is represented by its own symbol inside the logo and its own color. The applications like t-shirts and hats for the various departments can be distinguished in 3 different colors.
Logo Application
To give a good understanding of the brand and the brand style guide I created a brand presentation that includes and summarises the brand values and personality, mood board, primary logo, secondary logos, logo variations, negative styled logo, image style, logo symbol, color palette, competitor comparison, design element, social media usage, and logo application on various mediums.