Sidegrade Development: Indie game studio positioning
Brand Development, Strategy Workshop, Brand Positioning, Brand Personality, Logo Design, Stylescapes, Style Guidelines
Role
Brand Designer
Industry
Indie Video Games
Duration
6 months
Navigating the competitive landscape of the video game industry is complex, with indie studios competing for visibility during rapid growth and changing player expectations. Siderade Development meets this challenge by creating an engaging and inclusive gaming experience that prioritises community connection.
In October the 25th, 2022, I had the opportunity to meet Yolan Coeman, a Senior Developer from Belgium living in Helsinki, Finland. He had just returned from a business trip to Denmark. During our conversation, I asked him about the biggest challenges he faced in his role. Yolan shared that managing a team was now his primary responsibility, and he missed the hands-on coding work that once defined his job.
In that moment, I showed him a book I was currently reading, The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stanier, and suggested a few tips that might help address some of his challenges.
Our conversation took an interesting turn when Yolan shared an exciting idea: he wanted to start an indie video game studio called Sidegrade Development. I offered my services as a brand strategist, and within four months, we began developing the brand identity for his new venture.
This case study focuses on the strategic groundwork for Sidegrade Development’s brand, emphasising my collaboration with Yolan and art director Bahram Hosseinpour, and introducing the handoff from strategy into the design phase.
STRATEGY PHASE
Identify customer
A well-defined persona helps us identify where customers spend their time, what motivates them, and how to communicate effectively—ensuring our brand and design decisions are focused, relevant, and impactful.
“If you don’t know who your customer is, you won’t know where to find them” - Ben Burns
To define the customer persona for Sidegrade Development, we focused on the ideal customer, given the lack of existing data. Using a psychodemographic framework, we captured the persona's demographics, backstory, needs, and solutions, helping us align Sidegrade’s offerings with the ideal customer’s motivations.
By understanding the customer’s needs, we were able to define how Sidegrade’s offerings can meet those needs more effectively, providing a tailored and impactful solution.
With a clear understanding of the ideal persona, we now know exactly who she is—where she lives, what she does, and what she values. Beyond her interest in video games, we understand what she seeks in a brand: a safe, inclusive space, opportunities for self-expression, and transparency in game development. This allows us to create a brand experience that resonates with her on a deeper level, ensuring that every touchpoint, from game features to community engagement, aligns with her needs and expectations.
BRAND ATTRIBUTES
I conducted an exercise to define the brand’s core attributes, using single-word adjectives to capture the essence of the brand. We approached this by considering the brand as a person and exploring key aspects like culture, customer relationships, emotional impact, and unique differentiators.
Through brainstorming, we identified positive, aspirational adjectives aligned with Sidegrade’s future vision and distilled them into core attributes that guide both design and communication decisions. These attributes were then formalised into a brand statement, ensuring all teams make aligned decisions moving forward.
ARCHETYPES
While brand attributes shape how a brand looks and feels, archetypes dive deeper into its psyche, defining its behaviour and communication style. Establishing this psychological foundation allows us to direct Yolan’s game studio communications more precisely—guiding not only the tone of copywriting but also other dynamic elements such motion graphics. The archetype further informs what the brand stands for and where it should be most visible to reach its audience effectively.
Introducing Archetypes to Yolan
To achieve this depth, I introduced Yolan to the 12 brand archetypes—archetypes that represent universal human behaviours, thoughts, and emotions. These archetypes serve as the subconscious identity of a brand, making it relatable and emotionally engaging for customers. They are grouped into four key motivations, each reflecting fundamental human needs:
Belonging and Enjoyment: Everyman, Lover, Jester
Mastery and Risk: Magician, Hero, Outlaw
Independence and Fulfilment: Innocent, Explorer, Sage
Stability and Control: Creator, Ruler, Caregiver
Discovering Sidegrade’s Archetype
Through an interactive exercise, I worked with Yolan to identify which archetype best aligned with its brand identity and its ideal customer persona, Lara.
Yolan resonated with five archetypes for his video game studio: Everyman, Outlaw, Caregiver, Creator, and a Sage/Explorer mix, reflecting diverse aspects of its mission. We paused the exercise for refinement and conducted a competitor audit to guide next steps in positioning.
COMPETITORS AUDIT
We analysed direct and indirect competitors by reviewing their websites, examining elements like logos, slogans, copywriting, and visual identity. Based on this analysis, we positioned each competitor within an appropriate archetype to understand market positioning.
While this analysis was primarily intuition-driven, combining Yolan's industry expertise with my design insights created a dynamic and insightful review. This approach provided valuable perspective on Sidegrade’s position in the market and highlighted unique opportunities for differentiation.
Key Insights from the Competitor Audit
Lack of Focus on Branding
In the game industry, many studios prioritise game development over building a strong brand identity. As a result, their visual identities often reflect their games rather than a distinct company brand. This presents an opportunity for Sidegrade Development to stand out by investing in a cohesive brand identity that goes beyond its products.Archetypal Positioning
Our analysis of industry competitors revealed a strong inclination toward the Mastery and Control category, particularly the Magician archetype. This trend is prevalent among AA game studios and aligns closely with our own strategic direction, providing a clear path for Yolan to position itself within this framework.Blueprint for Future Growth
By embracing the Magician archetype, Yolan can establish a clear and consistent brand identity, which will serve as a strategic blueprint for future growth. This archetype will guide Yolan's evolution and decision-making, helping to position the brand effectively within the industry moving forward.
With these insights in hand, Yolan has decided to embrace the Magician archetype as the core of its brand identity. This choice aligns with industry trends and strategic goals, providing a clear framework for future growth.
BRAND NARRATIVE
When brand attributes are presented as a narrative, they create a cohesive story that builds an emotional connection with the customer. This narrative arc guides the customer on a journey with the brand—from their first encounter to an evolving, lasting relationship.
Translating Attributes into Narrative
We selected the five priority attributes in the categories of Voice, Feeling, and Impact, then integrated them into a narrative arc that guides all brand communications.
Design Application
Once the narrative structure is established, these attributes are shared with art directors and designers. By interpreting design choices through the lens of the brand’s story, creative teams are equipped to make decisions that not only reflect but amplify it’s identity, reinforcing a unified brand experience across all channels.
DESIGN PHASE
With the strategy in place, the next step was to translate these insights into design. To do this, I made a creative brief that outlined the brand’s core attributes and key insights. I then met with Bahram, the art director, to share the brief and align on the design direction, ensuring the visuals would reflect the brand’s strategic vision.
CREATIVE BRIEF
Below is the creative brief I provided to Bahram for the SideGrade project. Each creative brief is paired with a recap document summarising insights from our strategic sessions.
Project milestones were not initially set; instead, Bahram and I collaborated to outline timelines and resource needs. To define these milestones precisely, we used the Double Diamond Design framework, ensuring each phase was structured and aligned with the project’s strategic vision.
STYLESCAPES
In the early production phase, we explored and refined four distinct stylescapes. I presented these to Yolan, and based on his feedback, we selected one direction to pursue further. We then refined this chosen stylescape, integrating insights from our discussions to ensure alignment with the brand vision. Here is the final result:
DELIVERY
After refining the selected stylescape, we were ready to enter the delivery phase of our production timeline. With much of the foundational work completed, our focus shifted to finalising assets for export. This primarily involved adapting files to meet the specific delivery requirements outlined in the creative brief, ensuring all elements were polished and ready for implementation.
ONLINE AND OFFLINE DESIGN
Conclusion
Working on this project was a valuable learning experience, especially in understanding the indie game industry’s unique dynamics. It underscored the importance of close collaboration with the client to gather in-depth insights into their market—a process that combines strategic discovery with a strong design perspective. Bahram and I both took on various roles to ensure the project’s success, embodying the flexibility and commitment essential in such creative journeys.
This case study focuses primarily on the strategy phase, yet the upcoming case study where I’ll dive deeper into the design phase for another client, offers further insights into the creative process.
Interested?
I'll be glad to answer any questions about the process, collaborating with creatives, or hearing your thoughts on projects.