Déan
What is Déan
Project Overview
A full business plan for a concept I developed from a real frustration. No tailored platform exists for young creatives in Ireland so I decided to design one from the ground up.
The Concept The name Déan is Irish for "do" or "make" a one word brief for the entire brand. A platform for people who create things deserved an identity rooted in where they come from.
The Logo The Celtic basket knot sits at the heart of the Déan identity. Chosen for its symbolism of connection and craft the mark went through extensive experimentation across shapes, weight and scale before landing on its final form.
Typography
Two typefaces were explored across the brand. ITC Avant Garde Bold and Lato Regular.
Each was tested across primary and secondary colour applications to find the combination that felt both modern and distinctly unique to the brand.
The Branding
Déan was designed for two very different audiences and the visual identity reflects that. A palette of deep vivid greens was built for the freelance creative - market fresh and community driven.
A bold red and dark maroon system was developed separately for SMEs - confident and professional. Same logo, same typography same structure. Only the colour shifts depending on who the brand is talking to.
The Sites UI
Alongside the brand identity, a full website UI was designed in Figma bringing Déan to life as a fully realised digital prototype.
The designs explore how the two colour systems work across real interface elements from the homepage through to user profiles and job listings showing how the platform would actually look and feel for both creatives and SMEs.
What I learned
Design Serves Strategy
Every visual decision on Déan had to serve a purpose. Designing for two audiences taught me that colour typography and layout are tools for communication not just aesthetics.
Brand Consistency Across Complexity
Maintaining one coherent brand identity while developing two distinct colour systems pushed my understanding of how far a design system can flex without breaking.
Concept to Product
Taking Déan from a written business plan through to a fully realised UI showed me what the full lifecycle of a digital product actually looks like from research and branding through to interface design.