CannaGo

Product Design

Atlanta, Georgia

CannaGo, an Atlanta-based startup, aimed to revolutionize third-party delivery services for local dispensaries. Initially, the brand lacked clarity and appeal to its target audience—primarily career-driven individuals in their late 20s to early 30s (insight provided to me). The app and brand identity were underdeveloped, leading to limited engagement and market differentiation.

I was brought on as a product designer- but as sole designer, built the visual brand.

Before joining CannaGo, I observed -and disliked- that the cannabis industry was divided between overly raunchy branding—often featuring exaggerated pop culture references —or minimalist spa aesthetics, which felt disconnected from the energetic nature of cannabis products, and CannaGo's product offering of fast delivery. CBD products all felt very Goop, and most Delta 8 product I was seeing had, like, off-model Rick & Morty or Spongebob on it. This polarization seemed to lack authenticity and failed to resonate with a balanced brand experience.

Drawing inspiration from Zag: The Number One Strategy of High-Performance Brands by Marty Neumeier, which emphasizes the importance of differentiation, I aimed to create a distinctive brand identity for CannaGo that avoided these extremes. My goal was to establish a unique positioning that embraced the energetic nature of cannabis products without resorting to gimmicks or the overly serious tones seen in the industry.

I redesigned the brand’s visual identity, including the logo and color palette. Previously, CannaGo used a variety of logos—approximately 20 different versions—and a color scheme that included neon green, black (#000000), and white (#ffffff). My aim was to create a vibrant and authentic visual identity that reflected the brand’s dynamic nature while avoiding gimmickry. The new colors and logo were designed to balance fun and professionalism, resonating with the target audience who valued the product’s medicinal benefits and a playful brand experience.

Mascot Development:Introducing Bud, the brand mascot, added personality and warmth to CannaGo’s identity. Bud was designed to be fun and approachable without undermining the brand’s credibility. While Bud existed in physical form before my involvement, his digital role was non-existent. I integrated Bud into our visual communication strategy, enhancing his presence across social media, marketing materials, and packaging. Bud became a key element, offering a lighthearted touch without trivializing the medicinal value of the products. He now exists in multiple styles throughout the CannaGo-verse.

Introduction:Initially, CannaGo aimed to transition to a custom-coded website to create a tailored solution that aligned with the company’s long-term goals. However, due to limitations in hiring additional engineers and evolving business needs, this plan was not executed. Instead, a dual-platform strategy using Wix and Shopify was adopted to address immediate requirements and operational needs.

Dual-Platform Approach:Challenge: Integrating Wix for general content and Shopify for product sales while ensuring a consistent and user-friendly experience. Originally, Wix was intended as a temporary solution pending the development of a custom-coded site.
Solution: Implemented a dual-platform strategy where Wix served as the content hub and Shopify managed e-commerce and database automation. Firebase was utilized as the backend system to support data management and integration. This approach allowed CannaGo to meet immediate needs, including selling restricted products like vapes and catering to non-iPhone users who faced limitations with the initial app integration.
Outcome: Ensured visual consistency between Wix and Shopify, with only minor differences in the URL and footer. This minimized user confusion and maintained trust.

Wix Integration & Strategy:Objective: Address interim needs and SEO efforts while planning for a future transition to a custom-coded solution.
Approach: Although the custom-coded transition did not occur, the Wix site was used for general content and lead generation. It generated 2-3 contact form submissions per day, contributing to customer engagement and revenue. The Wix site also served as a bridge to Shopify, integrating with Firebase to ensure backend data management.

Shopify Integration:Objective: Provide e-commerce and database automation capabilities.
Approach: Utilized Shopify to manage product sales and integrate with Firebase for backend data management. This allowed for a comprehensive solution to meet the needs of both restricted product sales and broader customer engagement.

UI/UX Redesign:

Comprehensive App Overhaul:
I led the complete redesign of the CannaGo app, initially to improve usability and later to align it with the new brand identity. Key features included multi-location shopping, Google Sign-In, Apple Pay, and a Referral Program. The redesign focused on enhancing user experience while maintaining a distinctive brand look. I completed my designs in Figma.

Visual Content:
I designed engaging visual content for social media platforms and email campaigns, including story and grid posts for Instagram, YouTube thumbnails, and images/gifs for emails. This content aligned with the new brand identity and maintained a cohesive brand presence.

Collaborative Leadership:

Team Coordination:
Worked closely with marketing and social media teams to translate their ideas into visual prototypes and final designs. This collaboration ensured that the brand’s voice and visuals were consistent across all touchpoints.

Investor Relations:
Provided design insights to the CEO and investors to guide future development and ensure the brand’s visual identity and app functionalities aligned with the company’s long-term goals.

Impact:The rebranding and redesign led to a more engaging and user-friendly experience for CannaGo’s customers, significantly improving brand perception and market positioning. The new identity and app features established CannaGo as a unique player in the cannabis industry, appealing to both medicinal users and those looking for a fun and dynamic brand.

App Redesign: Led the redesign of CannaGo’s app, enhancing the user interface and adding features like Apple Pay, Google Sign-In, and multi-location shopping.

Brand Identity: Developed a new logo, color palette, and brand guidelines that ensured a cohesive and recognizable identity across all platforms.

Mascot Integration: Elevated Bud, the company’s mascot, into a central brand figure, boosting engagement and recognition.

E-commerce Success: Implemented a dual-platform strategy using Wix and Shopify, allowing CannaGo to legally sell restricted products while maintaining a seamless user experience.

Lead Generation: Created a high-converting Wix site that generated multiple contacts daily, driving engagement and expanding the customer base.

Their Website (often no longer online, sorry!)