University Project (Industry Project)
Year: 2023
Focus: Sustainable Fashion, Footwear and Circular Design
University Project (Industry Project)
Year: 2023
Focus: Sustainable Fashion, Footwear and Circular Design
Blue Soul
Dilly Dally
The Challenge
The Solution
Blue Soul began as a university project, but I approached it as a real market problem. Ocean plastic pollution is widely recognised, yet many sustainable footwear brands remain inaccessible due to high price points and unclear claims around ethics and materials.
The challenge was not only to design a product, but to build a brand foundation rooted in purpose, trust, and transparency. The goal was to make ethical footwear feel both credible and attainable, without relying on greenwashing or premium pricing as a barrier.
I developed a dynamic discovery system that balances expressive branding with a focused product experience. Vibrant, high-contrast colours help the brand stand out against user-generated video, while a clean, minimalist interface keeps the booking journey intuitive and smooth.
Blue Soul began as a university project, but I approached it as a real market problem. Ocean plastic pollution is widely recognised, yet many sustainable footwear brands remain inaccessible due to high price points and unclear claims around ethics and materials.
The challenge was not only to design a product, but to build a brand foundation rooted in purpose, trust, and transparency. The goal was to make ethical footwear feel both credible and attainable, without relying on greenwashing or premium pricing as a barrier.
The Solution
Blue Soul is a sustainable footwear brand made from salvaged ocean plastic. To differentiate the brand and communicate its purpose more directly, I developed a narrative where the brand speaks as the ocean itself.
This approach shifts the tone away from corporate sustainability messaging and instead creates a more personal and urgent dialogue. By giving the ocean a voice, the brand builds an emotional connection while maintaining authority and credibility around the issue.
The Challenge
Dilly Dally is a video-first marketplace, often described as TikTok meets Airbnb. The challenge was to create a brand that felt as energetic and exploratory as social media, while maintaining the trust and clarity expected of a booking platform. The identity needed to celebrate aimless wandering while guiding users towards intentional booking.
Visual Identity
The logo acts as a metaphor for the user journey. Its organic line work represents exploration and gradual discovery, moving from wandering to destination. The flowing paths reference movement through a city, and the absence of rigid angles keeps the mark relaxed and approachable. This reinforces the brand’s aim to make planning feel playful rather than overwhelming.
Social Ecosystem
I designed a full social framework to support the brand beyond the app. This included Instagram story templates and creator kits to ensure consistency, recognisability, and flexibility across user-generated and branded content.
Brand Identity
The resulting identity positions Blue Soul as an accessible and ethical footwear brand. Every design decision was made to reinforce the material truth behind the product and clearly communicate that the boots are genuinely made from salvaged plastic.
The resulting identity positions Blue Soul as an accessible and ethical footwear brand. Every design decision was made to reinforce the material truth behind the product and clearly communicate that the boots are genuinely made from salvaged plastic.
Cyanotype Texture
A custom cyanotype-inspired texture was introduced to reference water environments and recycled materials. The texture adds a handmade, tactile quality to the identity, subtly communicating the origin of the materials and the care involved in their transformation.
A custom cyanotype-inspired texture was introduced to reference water environments and recycled materials. The texture adds a handmade, tactile quality to the identity, subtly communicating the origin of the materials and the care involved in their transformation.
Designed for Scale
To support growth beyond launch, I created a foundational style guide covering colour, typography, and grid systems. This provides clarity for future design decisions and ensures the brand can scale alongside the product.
Typography
A typewriter-style font was chosen for its imperfect and direct tone. This supports the idea of the ocean speaking directly to the audience, making the communication feel personal, honest, and unfiltered, similar to a recorded message or log entry.
A typewriter-style font was chosen for its imperfect and direct tone. This supports the idea of the ocean speaking directly to the audience, making the communication feel personal, honest, and unfiltered, similar to a recorded message or log entry.
Colour Palette
The colour palette balances the brand’s natural purpose with the reality of recycled materials. Deep blue reflects the ocean and its depth, while contrasting orange introduces urgency and represents the process of recovery and transformation.
The colour palette balances the brand’s natural purpose with the reality of recycled materials. Deep blue reflects the ocean and its depth, while contrasting orange introduces urgency and represents the process of recovery and transformation.
HEX #1d56cf
RGB 29 86 207
CMYK 86 70 0 0
HEX #1d56cf
RGB 29 86 207
CMYK 86 70 0 0
HEX #1d56cf
RGB 29 86 207
CMYK 86 70 0 0
HEX #fdf9f2
RGB 253 249 242
CMYK 0 1 4 0
HEX #fdf9f2
RGB 253 249 242
CMYK 0 1 4 0
HEX #fdf9f2
RGB 253 249 242
CMYK 0 1 4 0
HEX #1A1A1A
RGB 26 26 26
CMYK 73 67 65 78
HEX #1A1A1A
RGB 26 26 26
CMYK 73 67 65 78
HEX #1A1A1A
RGB 26 26 26
CMYK 73 67 65 78
HEX #FFD447
RGB 255 212 71
CMYK 0 15 83 0
HEX #FFD447
RGB 255 212 71
CMYK 0 15 83 0
HEX #FFD447
RGB 255 212 71
CMYK 0 15 83 0
HEX #FF6FAE
RGB 255 111 174
CMYK 0 72 0 0
HEX #FF6FAE
RGB 255 111 174
CMYK 0 72 0 0
HEX #FF6FAE
RGB 255 111 174
CMYK 0 72 0 0
Heading Font
Heading Font
Heading Font
Body font
Body font
Body font
Special font
Special font
Special font
Outcome
Blue Soul demonstrates how brand storytelling and visual identity can be used to build trust in sustainable products. The project explores how emotional narrative, material honesty, and accessible positioning can work together to create a brand that feels both responsible and relatable.
Blue Soul demonstrates how brand storytelling and visual identity can be used to build trust in sustainable products. The project explores how emotional narrative, material honesty, and accessible positioning can work together to create a brand that feels both responsible and relatable.
