Industry

Database

Company

MongoDB

MongoDB Brand:
Enterprise, developers, and everything in between

MongoDB Brand:
Enterprise, developers, and everything in between

MongoDB Brand:
Enterprise, developers, and everything in between

What is MongoDB?

MongoDB is a NoSQL database product that utilizes a flexible format called documents (similar to a list or a JSON file), making it easier to work with different types of information without strict rules.

My role

Senior Designer

Responsibilities

  • Led and oversaw brand design systems at MongoDB

  • Created and managed print, digital, merch, and experiential assets.

  • Project manager and design point of contact for entire organization

  • Supervised external resources, including motion designers, illustrators, and photographers

  • Mentored junior designers

Impact

Creation of first
brand design system

Brand and
product alignment

Matured the brand to
be ready for an IPO

The problems

The problems

The problems

Diverse audience segments without clear communication strategies
The brand served a variety of audience types but lacked documentation outlining how to effectively communicate with each group

Incomplete brand guidelines
Comprehensive brand guidelines were missing, leading to inconsistent representation

Limited branding knowledge among stakeholders and employees
Stakeholders and employees were not adequately educated on the brand’s values, voice, and visual identity, resulting in misaligned efforts.

Brand spectrum

Brand spectrum

Brand spectrum

I created a sprectrum that was easy to understand across the company. One end was the open source community roots, and the other end was enterprise software.

This simple spectrum would assist in the conversations and presentations of research to understand the needs, preferences, and behaviors of each team's audience.

Each team would be placed along the spectrum and would help guide the why behind their messaging guidelines.

Example of the brand spectrum and where different teams were placed.

Example of the brand spectrum and where different teams were placed.

Example of the brand spectrum and where different teams were placed.

Brand design system

Brand design system

Brand design system

With a rapidly growing company, the need for a brand design system was necessary. I documented, distributed, and socialized the guidelines for design components, voice and tone, and the aforementioned brand spectrum. I partnered with the product design team to ensure that design decisions could scale with product use cases.

MongoDB's brand guidelines and design system.

MongoDB's brand guidelines and design system.

MongoDB's brand guidelines and design system.

Education through relationships

Education through relationships

Education through relationships

A collaborative team culture was a value that was taken seriously at MongoDB. Teams worked well together, but the output of assets looked like they worked in complete silos because of how inconsistent they were. To remedy this, I partnered with each team to learn to create their assets and spread awareness of how the work fits into the more extensive system. Once teams saw how things formed together like Voltron, it created excitement and a desire to continue consistency. This new perspective became very valuable especially for the conferences where different teams had to come together to present a physical experience to our audience.

Examples of work that leaned towards the community end of the brand spectrum.

Examples of work that leaned towards the community end of the brand spectrum.

Examples of work that leaned towards the community end of the brand spectrum.

8 bit themed power up buttons that were given out to the developer community. Limited run merch became highly coveted items that designed to make specific audiences feel special.

8 bit themed power up buttons that were given out to the developer community. Limited run merch became highly coveted items that designed to make specific audiences feel special.

8 bit themed power up buttons that were given out to the developer community. Limited run merch became highly coveted items that designed to make specific audiences feel special.

The back of the power up buttons.

The back of the power up buttons.

The back of the power up buttons.

Brand design with realtime feedback

Brand design with realtime feedback

Brand design with realtime feedback

MongoDB World is an annual customer and developer community conference. It was grounded in MongoDB's branding, but it also required its own individual identity which I used it as an opportunity to take risks and try new things. The in person user research and feedback received was used to evolve MongoDB's brand and served as a valuable moment to interact with the community and customers in person. I was responsible for everything including wayfinding, the agenda, stage design, presentations, and merchandise. Each with its own valuable lessons on designing for utility, novelty, and consistency.

The evolution of MongoDB World logos.

The evolution of MongoDB World logos.

The evolution of MongoDB World logos.

Photos of MongoDB World experiential design in the wild.

Photos of MongoDB World experiential design in the wild.

Photos of MongoDB World experiential design in the wild.

Power banks designed for the training team to engage their audience at MongoDB World. New of this item traveled quickly and the training team was able to create a significant amount of leads.

Power banks designed for the training team to engage their audience at MongoDB World. New of this item traveled quickly and the training team was able to create a significant amount of leads.

Power banks designed for the training team to engage their audience at MongoDB World. New of this item traveled quickly and the training team was able to create a significant amount of leads.

I was asked to design a printed program for the MongoDB Women Who Code lounge/talk track. It was printed as debossed, 1 color letterpress on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Ultra White 130 lb Cover.

I was asked to design a printed program for the MongoDB Women Who Code lounge/talk track. It was printed as debossed, 1 color letterpress on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Ultra White 130 lb Cover.

I was asked to design a printed program for the MongoDB Women Who Code lounge/talk track. It was printed as debossed, 1 color letterpress on Mohawk Superfine Eggshell Ultra White 130 lb Cover.

A system for products

A system for products

A system for products

Developing a visual identity for MongoDB products centered around the leaf symbol emphasizing its core identity. Below it, product features are represented through distinct shapes. This approach allows each product to maintain individuality while remaining unified under MongoDB’s overarching identity, ensuring clarity, recognition, and consistency across applications.

MongoDB's product identity system. At the very top, products maintain the leaf mark and subsequent features use fewer colors and simpler shapes.

MongoDB's product identity system. At the very top, products maintain the leaf mark and subsequent features use fewer colors and simpler shapes.

MongoDB's product identity system. At the very top, products maintain the leaf mark and subsequent features use fewer colors and simpler shapes.

Key takeaways

Key takeaways

Key takeaways

Advocate for Additional Resources

As the company grew, so did the demands on the brand. I learned how to advocate for additional resources—whether it was budget, tools, or hiring another designer—by presenting a clear case for how investing in the brand drove business value.

Learn to Say “No” (Diplomatically)

With 300 employees, I had to manage a constant flow of requests. I learned to prioritize strategically and say no to work that didn’t align with the brand’s or company’s goals. Implementing a request intake process helped me manage expectations and focus on high-impact projects.

Celebrate Small Wins

With so much responsibility, I learned the importance of celebrating progress—whether it was completing a rebrand, launching a campaign, or developing new templates. These moments kept me motivated and demonstrated the value of my contributions.

© Daiji Shikama 2024

© Daiji Shikama 2024

© Daiji Shikama 2024