The Problem
CROMA is a web design studio built to serve local business owners—people who likely have little to no experience with websites or the web industry. The challenge wasn't just building a brand from scratch. It was building one that could represent a client with a clear, confident design sensibility while still feeling approachable to the very people it was trying to reach.
The Discovery
The target demographic is local business owners — a barber, a baker, a florist, etc. The idea of getting a website can feel foreign, even intimidating. That insight made one thing clear early: the brand had to feel safe to approach. Design that feels exclusive or cold sends the wrong signal to someone who already feels unsure about whether they even need a website.
At the same time, the client had a specific vision for what CROMA should represent. He wanted a brand that looked like it understood good design by being an example of it — clean, restrained. Trustworthy without being sterile. Finding the balance between them became the central design problem.
The Strategy
The logo came first. Staff Wide, a sturdy neo-grotesk with precise angular details and a four-point diamond, gave the brand the weight and distinction the client was looking for. It is a bold, confident mark —exactly what it needed to be. But a logo that reads as authoritative to a designer can read as intimidating to someone who has never thought about building a website. The strategic decision was to let the logo hold its confidence while softening everything around it — voice, imagery, and supporting visual elements — to close the distance between the brand and the people it serves.
Rounded corners were applied consistently across brand elements, creating a visual softness that runs counter to the logo's hard edges. The brand voice was written to speak plainly, without web jargon, the way you'd explain something to a neighbor. Imagery was chosen to reflect real people — local shop owners, familiar faces — so the audience could see themselves in it.
The Outcome
CROMA launched with a brand that earns trust on two fronts—it looks credible enough to convince a business owner that CROMA knows what it's doing, and approachable enough to make them feel like they could actually make the call. The identity system spans the website, business cards with a selective chrome treatment in print, social media, advertising, and a voice guide that keeps every touchpoint consistent. The website is currently being updated to reflect the full vision of the brand.
