work.mate®

Branding for a funded HR start-up that is rethinking the employee lifecycle.

(Overview)

Redefining work

Work is created between people, not in systems.

work.mate® is a digital assistant system that supports employees throughout the entire cycle: from onboarding and document management to offboarding. In this context, work.mate does not see itself as traditional HR software, but as a communicative system: the focus is less on processes and more on relationships and corporate culture.

The vision of founders Sascha and Michael: a holistic and innovative employee software for medium-sized companies that focuses on the needs of employees. Our task was to translate this functional solution into an independent brand. With a clear attitude towards the labor market and a conscious distance from the traditional understanding of HR, which reduces people to processes.

We developed the strategic basis and the visual appearance for this. The focus was on sharpening the brand essence, defining a clear position and then translating this into a consistent brand design.

The result: a brand that elevates connection to a principle and rethinks work.

(Company)

work.mate®

(industry)

Software and IT

(year)

2025

(services)

(brand strategy)

Because every employee counts

The labor market has changed: Jobs are becoming more interchangeable, processes more complex and communication more functional. What remains is often a lot of administration and little real connection. People are becoming personnel.

work.mate® challenges this state of affairs. The focus is on people’s resources and not on people as resources. The brand strategy translates this claim into a clear guiding principle: connection is not a soft factor, but the actual value driver. The result is an understanding of work that consciously unites opposites: efficiency and emotion, standardization and individuality, technology and empathy.

We have condensed this idea into a concise brand essence: We change perspectives because every employee counts. A strategic foundation that positions work.mate®: away from an administrative tool and towards a system that actively shapes corporate culture.

(brand strategy)

Connection as an experience

work.mate® sees itself as a mentor, companion and assistant at the same time. The brand is supportive, not administrative. It is designed to be approachable, understandable and accessible. The entire brand experience is designed to reduce friction and simplify interaction.

Every contact with work.mate® conveys: This is not about processes, but about people. It’s about collaboration that works and feels good for employees.

This makes it possible to experience what the claim promises: “mate for people who work”. A friend, colleague and partner who supports, relieves and makes work more human.

(brand design)

The form of togetherness

The logo takes center stage: a close combination of word and figurative mark. The figurative mark picks up on the formal language of the typography and combines clear, reduced lines with a soft, dynamic movement. This creates a visual balance between technical precision and human proximity.

The focus is on the small “m”. Two figures are visible in its shape. A symbol of the relationship between employees, the company and the digital assistant. A defining detail is the tail in the “m”: formally derived from the “a” of the word mark “mate”. It subtly links the figurative and word mark.

The “m” thus becomes the central symbol for partnership and a new understanding of cooperation.

(brand design)

Look and feel

The central design element is derived directly from the figurative mark: a fine, curved line that runs through the entire layout. It brings lightness to the design and makes the idea of connection visible across all touchpoints.

The color scheme combines technological clarity with emotional warmth: strong primary colors such as Deep Teal, Rich Emerald and Sunny Time stand for the digital, functional character. They are complemented by softer secondary colors such as Lavender Bliss, Sunset Punch and Serene Sky, which stand for humanity and approachability.

The key visual ensures recognizability across all applications: flexible to use, but consistent. Just like work.mate®, it combines different needs without becoming arbitrary.

(Employee voice)