In short
During my internship at Zekerzichtbaar, I was given the opportunity to work on a visual identity refresh for the municipality of Scherpenzeel. The task was to modernize their branding without replacing the original logo. The goal: simplify the style, improve consistency across digital and print channels, and make the identity more future-proof while respecting its historical character.
The problem
Scherpenzeel’s branding lacked consistency and felt outdated. The logo’s detailed gradients were hard to reproduce, and there were no clear guidelines for visual use. The challenge was to modernize the identity without losing recognizability, especially in the heraldic elements like the lilies and crown.
My role
As part of my internship at Zekerzichtbaar, I was responsible for executing the visual identity refresh. While I received guidance where needed, I independently conducted the brand analysis, redesigned the logo, refined the color palette, and created typography and layout recommendations. I made the key design decisions and presented the proposal to the client. Since my internship ended before full implementation, the final development and delivery of materials were completed by my colleagues at Zekerzichtbaar.
Design process
After a detailed logo and visual style audit, I drafted improvement recommendations such as simplifying the crown and flower shapes, removing gradients, vertically aligning the text, and selecting a modern, readable font.
Next, I created mockups of different branding components, letterheads, envelopes, digital documents, and documented everything in a comprehensive visual brand guide. I also developed clear do’s & don’ts for logo usage, whitespace rules, and color consistency. Feedback from design colleagues and the client was incorporated through iterations.
Solution
The new design preserves the integrity and history of the original logo while dramatically improving its usability across platforms. Colors were defined with exact RGB, CMYK, and Pantone values for print and digital. Typography was updated for clarity and accessibility. The final style guide enables consistent branding across all municipal communications.
The municipality responded positively to the design, and the refreshed identity is now being applied in both internal and external materials. Through this project, I demonstrated how thoughtful design can honor tradition while still embracing modern UX principles like clarity, consistency, and accessibility.
