Otta's rebranding stands out in a sea of “company blue” job boards
Otta was founded in 2019 by Sam Franklin, Theo Margolius and Xav Kearney, all of whom had previously worked for the real estate agency Nested.
Instead of showing long lists of jobs from users, recommendations are adjusted based on actual searches – taking into account desired salary, company size, industry, etc. Otta also provides additional information on companies that are actively recruiting, including a profile, the amount received Financial resources, corporate values and benefits.
"What they have built is a great product that is almost the opposite of the company's job board," says Max Ottignon, co-founder of Ragged Edge, who oversaw the rebranding alongside an outdoor campaign. “Most job boards are designed for employees to find employees while trying to create something that is candidate-focused – for the candidate first, not the employer. It shouldn't feel revolutionary, but it really is. "
Otta turned to Ragged Edge to refine their branding and realize the idea of offering a clear alternative to the “blue sea” that makes up the vast majority of their competitors. It had to reflect what Ottignon describes as the “really nice experience” of using Otta, as opposed to the very functional job boards that many are more used to.
Focusing on the idea of empowering the person, Ottignon says the studio developed branding that would reflect feelings of happiness and fulfillment through work. A new sans serif word mark extends outwards almost like the funnel of a loudspeaker and accompanies a colorful visual system. Ragged Edge has also designed a number of expressive 3D symbols that Ottignon describes as "somewhat weird and completely non-corporative".
"We wanted these to be really bold, expressive and exaggerated and to feel like they were warm, soft and enveloping, but also bright and a bit sluggish." he said CR. "We wanted to grab people's attention and send out a signal that this was the exact opposite of some other experience."
Otta is the latest brand to shake up an old industry. Monzo did the same for finance, Bulb for utilities, and Farewill for wills. "Usually what happened to these old companies is either intended for their stakeholders or for large corporations, and they are never brought to the attention of the customer first," says Ottignon of the phenomenon. "They're slowly being phased out by making them look a little silly by younger, more customer-centric companies, and each of the categories gets that treatment."
raggededge.com