1. Building Success with Companyon
Companyon Ventures is a venture capital firm that does more than fund startups. They fuel momentum, support founders through the scale-up phase, and help shape what’s next. I joined the Design Axl team, led by James Grady, to reimagine their visual identity system and design a new website experience. Together with the agile Design Axl team, we built a brand and digital presence that reflects who Companyon is, where they’re going, and how they show up for founders and partners.
Project Type
- Website: WordPress, Wireframing, Figma
- Branding: Color Palette, Typography, Mood Boards
- Illustration: Vector Graphics
- Digital Design: Social Media Templates
2. Visual Strategy Built in Figma
We used Figma as our core design and collaboration tool. Starting with a FigJam, we developed multiple mood boards to give us a solid visual foundation to build the new visual system.
We redefined the color palette, keeping their core brand purple, but adding some warming blues and bright pop of magenta. We also updated the typography system with a more contemporary and humanistic feel. Finally, we developed a system of gradients that are both contemporary and timeless.
3. Website UI Design
Once we had a strong visual foundation, we moved to Figma Design to build the website experience. We streamlined the on-page experience, focusing on Companyon’s value proposition, track record and team. In addition to leveraging the FontAwesome library of icons, I illustrated a suite of custom abstract line drawings used across the visual system. We developed a library of interactive components, including some skeuomorphic buttons, and developed fully interactive desktop and mobile Figma wireframes. Once we were satified with the design, we passed the files to CodeGreene to develop the WordPresss website.
4. Holistic Design System
This project wasn’t just about the website. Setting our clients up for success is about creating a comprehensive, and repeatable, visual system that can be applied to digital, print, and motion projects, all while maintaining brand standards. We created a suite of toolkits including social media and video templates, profile pictures, letterhead, and business cards. Plus, we set up a structured toolkit archive and ran WordPress and Figma trainings so that the Companyon team can use their new templates with confidence.
Tom Lazay
General Partner, Companyon Ventures
We set out to modernize our brand, but what we ended up with was so much more—a unified strategy, visual identity, and toolkit that truly reflects who we are and where we’re headed. The Design Axl team brought clarity to our brand and gave us the tools to keep evolving. They presented design directions so strong, we could’ve confidently run with any of them—which made choosing a final path both exciting and incredibly difficult.