Case Study

DISCO

Complete identity redesign that took a legal technology startup from Series B through IPO
Problem

A Revolutionary Product in Generic Packaging

DISCO had proven to investors and clients that its cloud-based ediscovery software represented a generational leap forward for the legal industry, but its brand identity was indistinguishable from the legacy competitors it sought to replace. The primary business objective was to forge a new identity that would position DISCO as the undisputed future of legal technology, drive brand recognition in a crowded market, and significantly increase marketing leads.

A selection of old DISCO branded material, including two non-matching versions of the logo, the website homepage, the DISCO app search screen, and three pieces of collateral.
Process

Building a Brand from Core Attributes

To create a brand that was both authentic and differentiated, the process began with a deep strategic immersion. Through extensive interviews with founders and executive leadership, I defined four core brand attributes to act as our strategic north star: Focused, Optimistic, Unconventional, and Refined.

Following a comprehensive audit of the competitive landscape, these attributes directly informed every creative decision:

A Differentiated Palette

To embody the "Optimistic" and "Unconventional" attributes, a bold and vibrant color palette was developed. This was a deliberate move to break from the sea of conservative blues and grays that dominated the legal tech space, instantly signaling that DISCO was the future.

A Unique Visual Language

Taking inspiration from the simple geometry of the DISCO logo, a unique illustration style was created using abstract shapes. Rendered in the brand's vibrant colors, these visuals were unmistakably DISCO.

A Refined Foundation

The friendly yet versatile typeface Proxima Nova was chosen to ground the identity, providing a "Refined" and "Focused" foundation that ensured clarity and professionalism across all applications.

The result of this phase was a unified proof of concept that was a direct, tangible expression of the approved brand strategy.

DISCO's brand typography, color, and pattern palettes
Outcome

A Scalable Brand That Fueled a $1.8B IPO

The new brand identity acted as a catalyst for explosive growth, providing the credibility and differentiation needed to transform the business. The results were dramatic and sustained.

Becoming a Major Player in the Market

The rebrand was instrumental in DISCO moving upmarket. The company shifted from servicing individual cases at small litigation boutiques to securing full-firm adoption at prestigious Am Law 100 firms, contributing to over 100% year-over-year growth in the following years.

A Unique Visual Language

This identity design successfully carried the company through five rounds of venture capital funding and served as the face of the company for over eight years, including a successful IPO in July 2021 with a valuation of $1.8 billion.

Enabling Massive Organizational Scale

The brand was built as a scalable system from day one. It grew to encompass a complete collateral system, video and social media graphics, a corporate website, and sub-brands for major events. To empower an organization that scaled to over 500 employees, self-service templates were created, allowing teams to remain on-brand without creative bottlenecks and supported by a dedicated creative team of four.

A grid of circles and squares stretches across a field of midnight blue. One circle is highlighted in Vine Green and labeled "Law." Right next to it, a square is highlighted Tomato Red and labelled "Engineering." To the side, a headline reads "Welcome to the future of legal technology."Pages from DISCO's brand guidelines bookAn abstract fantasy environment made of flat geometric shapesAn illustration of floating multicolored cubes that join together like a puzzle to create one larger cubeAn abstract geometric illustration of a government building with a bright red arrow weaving in and out between the columns and the brightly colored windowsA flat, simplified diagram of a cloud with placeholder labels pointing out various hypothetical featuresA sampling of DISCO's collateral designsDISCO's corporate stationeryFront and back view of DISCO company t-shirtDISCO's website homepages on desktop and mobile
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