Project Brief
HKM Consulting

HKM Consulting is a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultancy serving Fortune 500 to small organizations. The firm needed a complete brand identity system and content marketing framework that positioned them as approachable experts rather than corporate-style consultants. We built a visual identity anchored in Girl Next Door (60%) and Hero (40%) archetypes, using a sophisticated navy and gold palette, geometric design elements, and structured content templates designed for multi-platform execution.

The goal was to create a system that felt both professional and warm, reflecting founder Halima K's down-to-earth Midwest roots while establishing authority in a space often dominated by corporate rigidity.

Strategic Rationale

This brand system was built to support personal brand authority without corporate stiffness. HKM Consulting operates in a space where many competitors default to formal, impersonal branding. The warm navy-and-gold palette, combined with imagery featuring Halima herself, positions the firm as human-centered and accessible while maintaining premium credibility.

The comprehensive content guidelines ensure that all graphics, videos, and social posts maintain visual consistency across platforms without requiring a full-time designer. Every template follows the same structure, allowing for rapid execution while protecting brand integrity.

The Girl Next Door archetype (primary) ensures the brand feels approachable and authentic, while the Hero archetype (secondary) reinforces competence and resilience, critical for a DEI consultancy working with organizations navigating sensitive cultural transformation.

Tools & Approach

Brand Strategy: Archetype-based positioning (Girl Next Door + Hero blend), audience psychographics and fear/desire mapping, competitive landscape analysis, core value articulation ("always strive for excellence" and "being true to our word")

Visual Identity: Navy (#0C223A) and teal (#01415C) as foundation (60% of color usage), gold (#CCA969) as signature accent (20%), burnt orange and gray as supporting tones, Montserrat typography system for consistency across digital and print

Content System Design: Platform-specific sizing and ratio guidelines, photo-to-graphic allocation rules (20-60% depending on format), Canva template library with locked brand elements for client independence, brand vocabulary governance to ensure messaging consistency

Video Production: Scripted YouTube content aligned to brand voice and messaging framework, lower thirds and overlay templates for in-house editing, structured video guidelines for consistent brand presence across talking-head and educational content

Delivery & Documentation: Comprehensive 17-page brand guide covering mood, positioning, visual guidelines, content templates, and video specs, reusable design templates structured for platform-specific optimization, clear usage rules to prevent brand drift

Complete Brand Identity System

  • Logo suite: Multiple lockups including monogram, horizontal, vertical, and gold variations

  • Color system: 5-color palette with 30/30/20/10/10 allocation strategy (navy, teal, gold, burnt orange, gray)

  • Typography: Montserrat for headlines, body, and brand consistency across all materials

  • Icon system: Social media icons in four colorways for platform flexibility

  • Brand vocabulary: Locked phrases, opinions, and points of view to guide messaging consistency

Content Marketing System

  • Horizontal graphics (1280 x 720): YouTube thumbnails, blog headers, Facebook posts

  • Vertical graphics (6:19 ratio): Pinterest, Instagram Stories, IGTV, LinkedIn posts

  • Square graphics (1:1 ratio): Instagram feed, Facebook feed, email graphics, LinkedIn posts

  • Editable templates: Canva-ready templates for each format with locked brand elements

  • Structured design rules: Photo-to-graphic ratios, text overlay placement, logo positioning

Video Production System

  • Title and subtitle templates

  • Lower thirds for speaker identification

  • Informational overlays and call-to-action graphics

  • YouTube scripts: Video scripts structured for educational content delivery and brand voice consistency

  • Consistent brand integration across video content

Deliverables Summary

  • Complete logo suite (8+ variations across color schemes and layouts)

  • Brand color palette with allocation strategy

  • Typography system (Montserrat Semibold, Regular, Light)

  • Social media icon library (4 colorways)

  • Content marketing templates (horizontal, vertical, square formats)

  • Editable Canva templates for independent content creation

  • Video overlay and lower thirds system

  • YouTube video scripts for educational content

  • Brand vocabulary and messaging framework

  • Customer archetype and positioning documentation

  • Competitive differentiation strategy