Stride is a global employee engagement business helping some of the world’s most ambitious companies, including Make, Asana, Productboard and Udemy build stronger, more connected teams.
As the business evolved, its brand no longer reflected the scale of its ambition or the calibre of clients it was attracting. They needed an identity that reflected who they’d become and gave them the confidence to keep growing.
Like every O Street project, we started by getting under the skin of the business. Workshops, stakeholder interviews, gatecrashing team meetings (and dinners).
We wanted to understand not just what Stride did, but what made them different.
That didn’t take long.
They had bags of ambition, a hugely talented team and an infectious energy that deserved a brand to match.
There was one thing we kept coming back to.
Stride has a remarkable ability to connect the dots. They instinctively understand people, spot opportunities others miss and bring together teams, ideas and ambition in a way that feels effortless. Whether they’re connecting leadership with employees or creating moments that strengthen culture…connection sits at the heart of everything they do.
That’s where our idea came from.
The dot above the i in Stride became the hardest working element in the entire brand.
It wasn’t just part of the logo. It became the connecting force behind a comprehensive identity system that could stretch across every touchpoint, from presentations to merchandise, motion and immersive experiences. (applications and images below courtesy of Blank Slate)
Alongside the visual identity, we developed a new tone of voice, messaging framework and a practical brand toolkit that gave the team the confidence to communicate consistently as they continued to grow.
More than a new logo, it gave Stride a brand platform with room to play and evolved.
This was a huge project for O Street and one that challenged us at every turn, making us all better at what we do.
“O Street took the time to understand who we really are before putting pen to paper. The result is a brand that feels unmistakably Stride, simple, confident and built around the personality and values of our business. Their work has shaped far more than our visual identity, influencing how we communicate, and present ourselves every day. They were collaborative and fun to work with from start to finish and created a flexible brand system that will grow with us for years to come.”
– Barry Plunkett, Founder & CEO, Stride
