Brand
evolution

In June 2025 HashiCorp was aquired by IBM and the companies had clear visual differences that would need to be bridged over the next few quarters. I Q4 I lead an overhaul and standardization of the color palette of HashiCorp to address the most pressing clash between the brands, light mode and dark mode. HashiCorp existed primarily in dark mode, and IBM the inverse. We needed a set of colors that were thoroughly tested for web usability, contrast, and differentiation from our own products (which had become problematic as well). 

The new colors harkened to some of the most relevant products, while being flexible enough to be leveraged in our “Flooded with light” aesthetic. The final product was added to a design library I’d built and maintained of over 1200+ assets.

6

new color bands

56

total colors

AAA

compliance on web designated colors

After developing the palette we began converting all our materials to the new system, such as the decks, whitepaper, and socials. Some materials, primarily socials, remained dark mode as they are moments specific to our brand voice, while others that were used in the sales process were converted to light mode. The new palette allowed these materials to coexist and extend the reach of the brand while being flexible enough to work within IBM's estabalished layouts. 

The website (update pending) incorporates a number of key arts developed by a vendor. I took this time during color correction to make small adjustments across the board so they mesh better with our brand and how we had begun using them in social assets. 

The new color palette had pre-designated gradients with clear guidance on stops and usage, all located in our Figma Library that I had built and maintained throughout 2024-2026. This addition to our library of assets expedited low-medium lifts significantly, shaving off 10-25% off completion time.