LADE GmbH
Brand Development & UI Design
Project overview
LADE, a startup with an experienced team, offers comprehensive solutions and infrastructure for efficient charging of electric vehicles. The company targets B2B customers, including businesses, parking operators, and municipalities. With an initial product range that was not yet in production, LADE has grown and evolved consistently. The company places great emphasis on innovation and continuously works on developing features to meet the changing needs of its customers.
Goal
The main goal of the project was to create a website that is not overloaded with information and bland stock images, while at the same time explaining a very abstract topic and offering an unfinished product. At the core was the development of a design system and the corresponding imagery. Both are meant to convey technical professionalism, high-quality design, and sustainable values.
Role
Brand Developer, UX & UI Designer, Visual & Motion Designer, Design and development team on behalf of Digitalgenossen
Tools
Adobe Creative Suite, Lucidchart, Sketch, WordPress & Elementor
Duration
Juli-Oktober 2021
Logo Design & Brand Development
The development of the logo and brand for LADE considered the following aspects: The logo is based on an aerial view of a charging station and forms the shape of a “Squircle,” a combination of a square and a circle, which became the key visual of LADE.
The color choice features a technically inspired blue with a hint of purple to convey individuality. The design and content of the brand were deliberately kept simple, which was a challenge given the complex subject. However, efforts were made to create a clear and understandable representation, which led to the incorporation of the slanted design element.
The color palette for the illustrations was derived from the first 10 charging station models, establishing a connection to the original idea and emphasizing LADE’s innovative spirit.
Icon Design & Illustration
Since there were neither existing photos nor stock photos suitable for all use cases, the idea of creating a unique LADE illustration set emerged.
The primary colors of the illustrations are based on the logo color, while secondary colors were used for more complex illustrations and infographics.
The design of the illustration world also takes inspiration from the shapes of the first charging station, incorporating rounded corners to convey a friendly and modern impression.
UI Design & WordPress Implementation
In close collaboration with LADE, the navigation structure was revised multiple times to ensure that the different target audiences for the charging solutions were appropriately considered and prioritized on the website.
The website design was intentionally kept simple, with a focus on the content. A significant amount of white space was considered relevant to ensure a clear and organized presentation.
The content and structure of the website were primarily coordinated using Lucidchart, while the actual UI design development was done in Sketch.
The website was implemented using WordPress Elementor, which allowed for an efficient realization of the UI design according to the established guidelines and requirements.
Learnings
The project with LADE, where I had the opportunity to implement the entire website project, was an exciting experience. It was fascinating to practically be involved from the ground up and witness the growth of LADE.
I particularly enjoyed working on the development of the illustration set and the design system for such an important topic. There was ample room for creativity, but at the same time, the abstract aspects of the theme posed challenges.
Overall, it was an enriching learning experience where I not only improved my technical skills in web design but also gained a better understanding of the significance of sustainability and innovation in the field of electromobility.