CASE STUDY
Transforming Smartworks into DIGU
Brand Strategy · Brand Experience · Product Direction
Helping transform an evolving company vision into a cohesive brand, digital presence, and product experience.
Overview
When Smartworks evolved into DIGU, the opportunity extended far beyond a new name. It required redefining how the company presented itself, communicated its value, and delivered a consistent experience across every customer touchpoint.
My role combined brand strategy, brand experience, marketing leadership, website strategy, and product direction—bringing together leadership, design, UX/UI, and development around a shared vision. From shaping the brand system to guiding digital experiences, the goal was to build a foundation that could grow alongside the company.
My Contribution
- Brand strategy
- Brand experience
- Marketing leadership
- Website strategy & information architecture
- Product direction
- UX & interface feedback
- Requirements & prioritization
- Cross-functional leadership
Creative Principles
Every decision throughout the project was guided by a shared set of principles that helped keep the rebrand cohesive across every customer touchpoint.
- Simplicity over complexity
- Consistent messaging across every customer touchpoint
- Clear information hierarchy and user experience
- Close collaboration between leadership, design, UX/UI, and development
- Building scalable systems rather than one-off marketing assets
These principles became the foundation for both brand and product decisions throughout the project.
Brand Strategy
The transition from Smartworks to DIGU represented much more than a visual refresh. It was an opportunity to redefine the company's positioning, strengthen its identity, and create a brand that could support future growth.
Working closely with leadership, I helped shape how that vision would be communicated across messaging, marketing, website content, and customer experience. Every decision was made with the goal of creating a brand that felt clear, cohesive, and consistent.
Brand System
While the company's name and logo were established through leadership and design, I helped develop the broader brand system that brought the identity to life.
Working closely with the designer, I refined the visual direction by evolving the color palette, selecting the typography, and defining how the identity would be consistently applied across digital experiences and marketing materials. Alongside the visual system, I shaped the messaging and overall brand expression to ensure every customer-facing touchpoint communicated a cohesive brand experience.
Digital Experience
As Product Owner for DIGU's public website, I helped transform business and marketing priorities into a clear digital experience that reflected the new brand.
My responsibilities included organizing information architecture, defining requirements, reviewing user flows, collaborating with UX/UI and development, and ensuring every decision supported both business objectives and the overall brand strategy.
I also developed the concepts and creative direction for motion content used across the website, collaborating with the production team through visual references, feedback, and final approvals.
I focused on aligning stakeholders, providing strategic direction, and guiding the team toward a cohesive user experience across both the website and motion content.
Product Direction
IN DEVELOPMENT
Alongside the public website, I also serve as Product Owner for DIGU's client portal—an in-development platform designed to improve the client experience.
I work closely with leadership, UX/UI, and development to define priorities, clarify requirements, review interface decisions, and maintain alignment between business goals and the evolving product experience.
My role centers on strategy, collaboration, and decision-making—helping translate business needs into a product that delivers a better experience for clients.
Digital Impact
The rebrand established a stronger digital foundation and was followed by measurable improvements across key website engagement metrics.
Comparison of website performance during the six months before and after the DIGU rebrand and website launch.
Reflection
This project reinforced that successful branding extends far beyond visual design. It requires aligning business goals, messaging, user experience, and product thinking into a single, cohesive vision.
Working across leadership, marketing, design, UX/UI, and development strengthened my belief that the best creative work happens through collaboration. My role was often less about creating every asset myself and more about creating clarity, aligning teams, and helping every customer touchpoint express the same vision.
Credits
- Company Vision & DIGU Name — Sunbid Shrestha, CEO
- Logo Design — Vivek Durgum
- Brand System Development — Vivek Durgum & Aman Shakya
- Brand Strategy, Messaging, Marketing Leadership, Website Strategy & Product Direction — Aman Shakya
- UX/UI Design — Madhav Acharya
- Website Development — Surya Pokhrel & Bijen Gurung