In 2022, Sorted emerged as a Danish startup with one mission: simplifying tool management for organizations. As a pre-seed startup, Sorted sought a bold brand, a captivating landing page, and an MVP to lay the groundwork for future development. Despite being a SaaS company, Sorted aimed to steer clear of the typical SaaS visual language. With limited time and budget we decided to not reinvent the wheel in product design, but instead pour our energy into crafting a compelling narrative and a memorable brand. The result? A flexible visual system, a whole lot of fun and Y Combinator funding.
Y combinator 2023
Sorted's brand emerged from early conversations with the founders and a brand sprint workshop facilitated in the outskirts of Denmark. It became very clear that Sorted was all about saving time and reducing repetitive work and clicks. From those repetitive clicks, our brand identity sprouted. Repetition became the main visual theme throughout the brand system. We carefully curated a collection of photos and incorporated elements from the early days of personal computing, creating a versatile visual system that allowed for endless combinations, always with an emphasis on repetition. To further empower the founders, I built a social media asset generator (Mechanic Design) allowing them to generate content in a breeze.
The landing page needed to follow the classic startup format – it had to sell while also maintain the brand's unique personality. By sticking to a straightforward tone, harnessing striking brand visuals, and incorporating interactions that echoed our brand, I not only preserved Sorted's identity but also delivered product market fit towards users, customers, and investors.
For the design of the product, a lot of the attention has gone to the user flows and logic. Supported by a minimal but solid design system, this pragmatic approach served as the perfect foundation to build with speed, yet maintain consistency without compromising on UX. With the help of the design system I designed and prototyped the core flows. This to get the foundation right. However, all additional flows were per usual in flux and of mixed fidelity to match the operational speed we needed to build but also to make sure my time was spend on the most crucial aspects of the UX.
For the design of the product, a lot of the attention has gone to the user flows and logic. Supported by a minimal but solid design system, this pragmatic approach served as the perfect foundation to build with speed, yet maintain consistency without compromising on UX. With the help of the design system I designed and prototyped the core flows. This to get the foundation right. However, all additional flows were per usual in flux and of mixed fidelity to match the operational speed we needed to build but also to make sure my time was spend on the most crucial aspects of the UX.
Sorted's one-year journey, though it ended, played a pivotal role in shaping my identity as a designer. Taking charge of branding, the landing page, and the product sharpened my passion for seeing the bigger picture in the user journey, rather than just focusing on one touchpoint. It fuelled my creative direction once again and proved that even with small budgets, big things can happen. Throughout the process, like in any startup, change was unavoidable. Adapting and evolving wasn't always a walk in the park, but a robust design system, open collaboration, and effective communication were the keys to overcoming these challenges.