Remembered by most for its humble beginnings as an oldschool B2C social check-in app, Foursquare has since grown into a mature tech startup focused on B2B geospatial location data.
Overview
Foursquare has evolved far beyond its roots as the "it" check-in app from 2010. Today, it’s a leading geospatial intelligence company, powering enterprise clients across industries from CPG to retail, entertainment, food & dining, and more.
A 2020 rebrand marked a major visual reset for the brand, landing on a minimalist, bold design for a clean break from the consumer-focused image of the past. This helped reposition the company as a more serious player in the B2B data space; but, as the business launched new products, acquired companies, and shifted to a product-led growth model, the brand needed realignment with its evolving business strategy.
The refreshed design system is built for scalability and consistency across a growing, complex product portfolio. It’s flexible enough to serve developers, data analysts, and marketers alike, and product-forward without losing the brand’s sense of personality. New visuals aim to strike a balance between polish, technical know-how, and playfulness—honoring Foursquare’s legacy while making space for where it’s headed next. Deliverables included an updated visual design system, brand guidelines and microsite, icons, illustrations, sales and marketing templates, and more.
Remembered by most for its humble beginnings as an oldschool B2C social check-in app, Foursquare has since grown into a mature tech startup focused on B2B geospatial location data.
Overview
Foursquare has evolved far beyond its roots as the "it" check-in app from 2010. Today, it’s a leading geospatial intelligence company, powering enterprise clients across industries from CPG to retail, entertainment, food & dining, and more.
A 2020 rebrand marked a major visual reset for the brand, landing on a minimalist, bold design for a clean break from the consumer-focused image of the past. This helped reposition the company as a more serious player in the B2B data space; but, as the business launched new products, acquired companies, and shifted to a product-led growth model, the brand needed realignment with its evolving business strategy.
The refreshed design system is built for scalability and consistency across a growing, complex product portfolio. It’s flexible enough to serve developers, data analysts, and marketers alike, and product-forward without losing the brand’s sense of personality. New visuals aim to strike a balance between polish, technical know-how, and playfulness—honoring Foursquare’s legacy while making space for where it’s headed next. Deliverables included an updated visual design system, brand guidelines and microsite, icons, illustrations, sales and marketing templates, and more.
Foursquare’s 2020 rebrand painted it as fresh-faced, minimalist, bold, and trendsetting. As the branding was put into practice, however, it became evident that there was still work to be done. The new visuals lacked character and substance, not quite communicating the brand’s mission of constructing meaningful bridges between digital spaces and physical places, while the youthful personality missed the mark for our B2B audiences, too abstract and artistic to stand out amongst the competition or draw meaning.
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