Beth Burka Brand Designer Illustrator Beth Burka Product Designer
Beth Burka Brand Designer Illustrator Beth Burka Product Designer
Beth Burka Brand Designer Illustrator Beth Burka Product Designer
Illustration system
Illustration system
About
Wärtsilä's branded illustration library: a direct extension of the refreshed brand identity and the company strategy, The Wärtsilä Way.
Wärtsilä’s branded illustration library: a direct extension of the refreshed brand identity and the company strategy, The Wärtsilä Way.
Goal
Communicate the brand and strategy through an illustration style that sets Wärtsilä apart from its competitors.
Communicate the brand and strategy through an illustration style that sets Wärtsilä apart from its competitors.
Role
Creative director, illustrator and author of the full usage guidelines, in collaboration with Norr Design
Creative director, illustrator and author of the full usage guidelines, in collaboration with Norr Design
Deliverables
Illustration style · 120 modular components · Full usage guidelines · Pilot campaign
Illustration style · 120 modular components · Full usage guidelines · Pilot campaign
The business problem
High demand, no shared visual language
High demand, no shared visual language
The Energy and Marketing teams needed a steady stream of illustrations to show customers Wärtsilä's technical solutions.
The Energy and Marketing teams needed a steady stream of illustrations to show customers Wärtsilä’s technical solutions.
The biggest challenge was the lack of a cohesive visual style and foundational artwork aligned with the brand's identity and visual language.
The biggest challenge was the lack of a cohesive visual style and foundational artwork aligned with the brand’s identity and visual language.
120
Modular components
Modular components
7
Stakeholder interviews
Stakeholder interviews
4
Vendors evaluated
Vendors evaluated
40+
Components built in-house
Components built in-house
The process
From interviews to a living library
From interviews to a living library
01 · Research
01 · Research
Benchmarking and stakeholder interviews
Benchmarking and stakeholder interviews
The project began with research and benchmarking, including interviews with seven internal stakeholders to understand what the business needed from illustration.
The project began with research and benchmarking, including interviews with seven internal stakeholders to understand what the business needed from illustration.
02 · Partner selection
02 · Partner selection
A full procurement process
A full procurement process
Based on those insights, four shortlisted vendors were evaluated, and an external partner, Norr Design, was hired to help define the illustration style.
Based on those insights, four shortlisted vendors were evaluated, and an external partner, Norr Design, was hired to help define the illustration style.
03 · Creative direction
03 · Creative direction
Style, structure and colour
Style, structure and colour
Development explored the illustration style, structure and colour palette, translating business needs into a visual style aligned with the brand. I held two roles here: creative director and illustrator.
Development explored the illustration style, structure and colour palette, translating business needs into a visual style aligned with the brand. I held two roles here: creative director and illustrator.
04 · Building the library
04 · Building the library
120 modular components
120 modular components
The library defined 120 modular components in one consistent style, more than 40 of them built in-house. I created the full usage guidelines, published in the Brand Hub, which are available to view on request.
The library defined 120 modular components in one consistent style, more than 40 of them built in-house. I created the full usage guidelines, published in the Brand Hub, which are available to view on request.
05 · Pilots
05 · Pilots
Proven in live projects
Proven in live projects
The library was validated through two live pilot projects to refine its usability and visual consistency in practice.
The library was validated through two live pilot projects to refine its usability and visual consistency in practice.
Exploration
Sketches and decisions
[One or two sentences on how you explored the style: what you sketched, what you tested, and how the direction narrowed.]
Decision 01 · [Topic, e.g. line weight]
[What you decided]
Explored: [the options you tried]
Why: [the reasoning behind the choice]
Colour use
[What you decided]
Explored: [the options you tried]
Why: [the reasoning behind the choice]
Decision 03 · [Topic, e.g. modular structure]
[What you decided]
Explored: [the options you tried]
Why: [the reasoning behind the choice]
The library
One style, endless combinations
Pilot 01 · MEA Energy campaign
The library in motion
The library in motion
The first pilot was an animated video for the MEA Energy marketing campaign, built from the modular components. I provided creative brand direction from mood board to final publication.
The first pilot was an animated video for the MEA Energy marketing campaign, built from the modular components. I provided creative brand direction from mood board to final publication.
Impact
A shared visual language for technical stories
A shared visual language for technical stories
Teams across Energy and Marketing now have a consistent, on-brand way to show Wärtsilä's technical solutions, with 120 components and published guidelines in the Brand Hub, proven in live campaigns.
Teams across Energy and Marketing now have a consistent, on-brand way to show Wärtsilä’s technical solutions, with 120 components and published guidelines in the Brand Hub, proven in live campaigns.