Mindshare, Inc.

Power Out of the Box

Transforming a laptop brand to compete in a marketplace full of heavy hitters

Project
Kubuntu Focus Product Branding

Medium
Integrated

Role
Creative Direction
Brand Strategy
Identity Design
Visual Design
Content Development

Year
2020

Objective
Competitive analysis and discovery revealed that Kubuntu Focus’s existing product branding lacked the clarity and distinctiveness needed to align with its desired market positioning. To support the launch of a new product line alongside the redesigned sales site, the leadership team engaged me to revamp the logo and identity package—ensuring it enhanced usability, reinforced differentiation, and strengthened its partnership with the existing Kubuntu OS (KOS) brand.

Solution
Building on the existing Kubuntu OS (KOS) logo, I designed a bold, modern wordmark that strengthened Kubuntu Focus’s brand presence while maintaining continuity with its partner brand. The new identity system introduced refined typography, improved scalability, and a distinctive visual style that set the company apart in a competitive hardware market. This redesign reinforced Kubuntu Focus’s position as a premium alternative in the open-source ecosystem. 

Starting Points

The Kubuntu Focus platform is the brainchild of Mindshare, Inc., based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their charter is to deliver a premier Linux-based mobile platform for high-end research, development, engineering, and scientific users, as well as the prosumer and those seeking an alternative to the Apple and Microsoft ecosystems.

The cornerstone of the Kubuntu Focus platform is an onboarding and setup experience that drastically reduces the time required to get up and running on similar Linux-based offerings. Through curated guided solutions and regular software updates, Kubuntu Focus has uniquely positioned itself as a solid and reliable alternative amongst its competitors—the logo needed to reflect that.

Wordmark Construction

One of the core aspects of the Kubuntu Focus product brand is its deep association with the KOS development team and leadership role within that open-source community. Because of this and its partnership with Kubuntu, the leadership team determined utilizing the KOS logomark as a part of their visual brand would cement their dedication to that platform. To sufficiently differentiate the new logo, the existing Kubuntu logomark was integrated into the new product wordmark versus continued implementation as a standalone mark. Bespoke letterforms were crafted from the logomark's proportions using the Kubuntu mark.

Brand Guide

“Thanks to his insight and execution, we exceeded our short-term goals and are prepared to meet future challenges with confidence. Chip’s attention to detail and reliability is unsurpassed. He collaborates fully with multi-disciplinary teams and always produces a thoughtfully conceived and professional product.”

Michael Mikowski
Founder, Kubuntu Focus

Brand Activation

Start screen featuring the Kubuntu Focus Quick Help Widget

Motion logo video intro