At BlackBerry, I played a role in the company’s transition to a more modern and business-focused brand identity during the launch of the BlackBerry 7 OS and six new devices. My responsibilities included overhauling outdated branding materials and creating a wide variety of promotional assets.
I joined BlackBerry during the worldwide release of the BlackBerry 7 OS and the launch of six new devices. The introduction of BlackBerry 7 OS marked a major shift for the company, featuring innovations like Liquid Graphics, augmented reality apps, and a new graphical overlay framework. These changes signaled BlackBerry’s transition toward a more modern, polished, and mature brand identity.
A sample of the previous branding
Prior to this shift, BlackBerry’s marketing targeted a more consumer-focused audience, using casual language and the custom "BlackBerry Love" font to create an approachable and friendly brand image. The typography, paired with playful "multistream" visuals, gave the brand a less formal feel. However, with the introduction of BlackBerry 7, the company decided to reposition itself to better cater to its sophisticated business audience. This involved adopting a more refined aesthetic, which included using the Trade Gothic font, integrating color gradients, and designing sleek, modern icons to match the company’s evolving direction.
My role was to enforce this new cohesive visual identity across the company. I contributed to the overhaul of outdated branding documents and produced a wide range of promotional materials, including posters, flyers, booklets, postcards, wobblers, packaging, and web banners. Known for my speed and attention to detail, I efficiently managed high-priority tasks and ensured consistency across deliverables. I also designed PowerPoint presentations for global offices and mentored junior designers to help them align with the updated branding guidelines.
Together with my department, we redesigned hundreds of brand deliverables under tight deadlines. This included creating 200 web banners for the BlackBerry App Store, among other promotional materials. Some of my favorite projects included designing a 20-foot poster, chocolate bar wrappers, and even a custom BlackBerry couch—each a unique opportunity to bring the brand’s fresh, sophisticated image to life in creative ways.
Nicola does a great job prioritizing projects. When multiple projects are assigned, she ensures that the high priority projects are undertaken. She is very well organized and uses her skills perfectly to execute everything on time. Nicola brings a very positive environment to the team. She assists the other junior designers on a daily basis and is always very positive with each project.
- Margaret Papinski, Project Manager