From a familiar identity to a modern power brand
When Brian Fleming approached me to refresh the Generators Direct brand and create a new website, the goal wasn't to completely reinvent a business that already had more than 20 years of experience behind it. It was about taking what was already there and creating an identity that better reflected where the business is today — and where it's heading next.
Evolving an established identity
The original Generators Direct logo had a strong connection to the business, featuring a silver fern as its central element. It was familiar, recognisable and reflected its New Zealand roots, but the overall identity had started to feel dated.
Rather than simply updating the existing logo, we looked at how the brand could evolve into something more modern while still retaining a connection to its history.
The new logo icon takes inspiration from the mechanical forms found within a generator, creating a bold and simplified mark that feels relevant to the industry without being overly literal. The result is a more contemporary identity that can work across everything from generator equipment and vehicles through to digital applications.
A new visual direction
Alongside the logo, SWEA design developed a completely refreshed visual language for Generators Direct.
The new colour palette moves away from traditional heavy industrial colours, introducing a combination of earthy greens, soft blues and muted indigo. The palette brings a more modern and refined feel to the brand while still communicating strength, reliability and stability.
Typography and supporting graphic elements were also selected to create a consistent identity that feels professional and established, while still being approachable.
Bringing the brand to life online
The new website carries the refreshed identity through with a clean, modern and image-led design that gives the generators and projects plenty of space to speak for themselves. Strong typography, bold imagery, subtle brand elements and the new colour palette create a more polished digital presence while keeping the site straightforward and easy to navigate.
Designed and built in Rocketspark, the website showcases the range of generators Brian supplies, the solutions available, the industries Generators Direct works across and projects delivered throughout New Zealand and the Pacific. The result is a responsive, easy-to-manage website that feels consistent with the new brand from start to finish.
A brand built for the next chapter
The result is a more modern and cohesive identity that brings together the experience behind Generators Direct with a clearer picture of what the business provides today.
From the evolution of the original silver fern logo to a new generator-inspired icon, and from a refreshed colour palette through to a completely restructured website, the project was about creating a brand that feels established, capable and ready for the next stage of the business.
It was a great project to work through with Brian, taking an established New Zealand business and giving it a fresh digital presence while keeping the experience and relationships that have built the business at the heart of it.
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