Building better futures: how PARSONS created an engaging identity for career development app Bloom

Bloom is on a mission to redefine the way we approach work development. The career coaching and mentoring app is tailored to professionals aiming to fuel their career fulfilment – providing high-impact coaching ‘workouts’ to progress each user towards their goals. Taking the simplicity, energy and gamified experience offered by Bloom as the starting point, Galway-based brand strategy and design studio PARSONS conceptualised and built an equally vibrant and engaging visual language. One that communicates the personal development and goal attainment narrative of the app with sincerity and impact. 

“The wordmark is structured in form,” Creative Director Craig Parsons explains, referring to the energetic ‘building blocks’ of the custom squared design. Its letters are in constant playful flux, particularly in motion – stacking neatly into a range of formations – stretching and shifting. 

To pair with the squared forms of the wordmark, PARSONS opted for Sharp Type’s Garnett and Lineto’s Riforma as the pairing of typefaces. The former, thanks to its sturdy geometric qualities and slight quirkiness, while Riforma provides a precise and systematic touch. “The square construction of Riforma’s characters, like the lowercase arm of the ‘f’ and the terminal of the ‘t,’ fits well with the ‘squareness’ of the wordmark,” Parsons adds. 

As part of the extended graphic system, the studio injected a series of gradients into the identity to work alongside the typography – fittingly created from the squares and circles of Bloom’s wordmark. They’re inspired by light, Parsons reveals, “because Bloom helps illuminate a clear career path.” The effect is vibrant and energetic, thanks to a complimentary selection of colours. A vibrant blue leads as the key colour – serving as a reminder that Bloom is always live and available 24/7 – and is backed up with a cool viridian green and warm orange and purple hues.

PARSONS

Bloom