Sona Data Systems
2021 – Present
Lead Designer
A coat of fresh paint
Sona Data Systems (SDS) is a data-driven tech company that’s contributed to the growth of various businesses in Phoenix metro area and beyond since 1986. A company that’s been around as long as SDS has is bound to have gotten branding refresh or two, and seeing that their last refresh was in the early 2010s, SDS’ founders figured it was time for a bit of a facelift.
Initial redesign sketches
Typeface, icon, and lockup exploration
Challenges
Brand continuity: Revitalizing the visual identity while retaining the “essence” of the previous incarnation to maintain recognition among long-term clients.
Familial alignment: Creating a unifying branding umbrella that could bridge the gap between a U.S.-based entity and their overseas sister-company.
Stakeholder iteration: Navigating a complex feedback loop to find the sweet spot between a “sleek new look” and the founders’ established vision.
Process
- Logo exploration: began with hand-sketched iterations to explore how the “SDS” initials could be stylized as a data-driven icon.
- Typography & lockup: Explored a number of sans serif options that provided a contemporary tech/SaaS edge in a variety of formations. Emphasis on SDS’ core: “Data”.
- Synthesis: ultimately merged a refreshed color palette with a modified version of the sister-company’s logomark, ensuring brand cohesion across all international touchpoints.
Results
- Vibrant palette: Shifted from a muted, safe color base to a high-vibrancy palette that pops on both digital screens and high-end collateral.
- Versatile logomark: Developed a responsive logo system that scales perfectly from a tiny favicon to large-scale trade show banners.
- Unified brand system: Delivered a comprehensive style guide that defines how the new logo interacts with typography and photography, ensuring a consistent voice across all platforms.
Takeaway: Straightforward solutions can still yield high-impact results. By refining a solid aesthetic base, we gave a 1986 company a 2020s edge.
Old dog, new tricks
After nearly 40 years in the industry, the founders recognized that their website no longer kept up with some of their contemporaries, feeling somewhat sterile in comparison. I was tasked with modernizing their digital home to better communicate their complex offerings that range from Distributed staffing to Data analytics.
sonadatasystems.com homepage scroll through
Challenges
Information architecture: Organizing nearly four decades of diverse services (SEO, staffing, TPA, Development, etc.) into a cohesive, non-overwhelming user journey.
Modern touch: Creating a visual language that brings a more dynamic flare and establishes SDS’ ever-evolving nature.
Lead generation: Transforming a static informational site into a high-performing conversion tool for global B2B clients.
Process
- Stakeholder alignment: Collaborated with the leadership team to identify new additions and areas to shed or consolidate.
- Modular page design: Assembled a flexible system of WordPress-Elementor content blocks and established formatting for service pages.
- UX Optimization: Streamlined the “Free Assessment” flow to lower the barrier for prospective leads.
Results
- Context & clarity: Transitioned the site to a content-focused, high-performing build.
Brand authority: Integrated “Trust Signals” (37+ years of experience, 500+ clients) strategically to anchor the brand’s credibility.
- Visual overhaul: Swapped dated layouts for high-contrast typography, vibrant accents, and data-centric imagery that feels “powered by data.”
Takeaway: A legacy of success is only as strong as its current presentation. By prioritizing clarity over complexity.
Tangible trust
In the world of B2B enterprise tech, the digital experience is only half the battle. Sona Data Systems needed a number of physical and presentation assets that carried the weight of their 40-year history into high-stakes meetings with prospective clients. Whether it was a sales deck for a Data Analytics project or a tri-fold brochure for a networking event, the goal was to ensure SDS looked like the adaptable veteran.
Digital Marketing brochure exterior layout design
Digital Marketing brochure internal layout design
Challenges
Information density: Distilling SDS’s complex service offerings (TPA, IT Staffing, Data Science) into digestible, print-ready formats without overwhelming the reader.
Consistency across media: Ensuring the new high-vibrancy digital palette translated accurately to physical CMYK print and presentation projectors.
Process
- Visual Hierarchy: Defined a clear layout “template” for print assets using bold headers for value propositions and clean, structured grids for technical specs.
Print Optimization: Managed the technical transition from digital-first RGB to print-safe CMYK, ensuring the “Sona Blue” remained vibrant across business cards and heavy-stock trifolds.
Results
- High-Impact Print Assets: Designed a series of trifold brochures and flyers that used white space and bold headers to make technical data feel accessible and professional.
Unified Professionalism: From business cards to pitch decks, the brand now presents a single, cohesive front that signals reliability to high-end partners and local Phoenix startups alike.