Challenge

The Forge is a platform that has a number of virtues, besides having the “first mover” advantage—unique “quality of life” features for players and game masters, top-tier web infrastructure performance, an integrated marketplace, at prices that consistently beat each and every competitor. These qualities needed to be highlighted with a brand that would answer to a credible and sustainable promise over time, capable of boosting sales and keeping the competition at bay, convincing website visitors that they were dealing with something entirely different from a mere “VTT hosting service” and creating an emotional connection to the brand.

The Forge originally had what we would call a MVB: a “minimum viable brand”, with only the bare necessities needed to bootstrap the nascent company: a working service, a website focused on functionality rather than persuasive sales copy and stylish design, a small community of enthusiastic early-adopters, little to no artwork and brand assets, and a permissively-licensed piece of game artwork as a temporary logo.

However, as its quality of service, feature set and customer base grew, it needed unique branding that could change its international community’s perception from being an early-stage hosting service offering to being perceived as a professional, trustworthy and incomparably convenient all-integrated solution for role-playing game masters seeking more than regular hosting infrastructure.

The Forge was making significant investments across its service offering, including significant infrastructure and UX upgrades, and crushing the competition on features and price. But they weren’t getting credit from prospective customers for all that they were doing. After a year of operating under the same “temporary” logo and website, the Forge was ready for a brand identity it could truly own, and a website that could truly sell.