COUCHBASE
Brand Refresh
2023
Couchbase is the cloud database built for modern apps, and the teams behind them. With its Capella platform, organizations can build faster, deliver stronger customer experiences, and spend way less time managing databases. But to grow beyond its core audience, Couchbase set its sights on something bigger: a brand refresh designed to boost awareness with developers and make a bold impression on the broader market.
Scope
Visual Identity
Design System
Brand Strategy
Motion
My Role
Art Direction
Design
Motion Direction
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Client: Terry Lee
Agency: Sköna
Sr. Creative Director: Janessa Mason
Video & Animations: Ron Edelen
Creative Strategy: Alison Michael
Copywriting: Andrew Ledford -
Couchbase was ready for a brand evolution, but not just for the sake of a new look. Internally, there was growing tension around inconsistencies between the corporate brand, Capella, and its Developer sub-brand. Externally, the market was shifting fast. The ask was to create a cohesive system that could flex across audiences, stay consistent across platforms, and still speak directly to the developers, decision-makers, and customers at the heart of it all.
We started by identifying the core pain points and aligning around Couchbase’s key brand pillars. From there, we built a visual language rooted in coding symbols, a nod to the platform’s technical sophistication, balanced with warm tones, people-forward photography, and clear, confident typography to bring in approachability. The result was a brand system that’s flexible but unmistakably Couchbase—modern, high performance, and designed to meet developers where they are, from cloud to edge.
Couchbase rolled out the new brand internally first, generating immediate excitement and alignment. When it hit the public stage, it stood out instantly, cutting through the sea of SaaS blues and greens with a look and feel that embodied what Couchbase is all about: easy excellence, technical muscle, and the power to build without compromise.
