The Search Cure: A Case Study

How It Began

I met Shannon in 2023 on a digital nomad trip in Bosnia & Herzegovina. Aside from being super fun (and funny) and just an overall joy to be around, Shan (as I quickly learned) was incredibly good at what she does. As a fintech expert, she worked magic with her words to translate jargon, technical terminologies and hard-to-understand-stuff in easier terms so the average John/Jane Doe could understand them. Not only is that an incredibly important skill to have, but for the industry she worked in, it was absolutely necessary to actually convert.

When I had a look at Shan's online presence, I didn't feel like it adequately reflected her experience, expertise and standing as an industry expert. So, I approached her and asked if she would let me give her a rebrand.

The Problem: Expertise That Lacked Branding

Shan was already working with big names in the industry. Understandably, her expertise was not in design or branding. But, even so, her clients knew to look past the mildly meh branding as her work and deliverable had nothing to do with either.

That being said, I wanted to give Shan's website and logo a do-over so the moment a new client landed on her page, they immediately got the overwhelming sense that Shan was their girl.

"Within one week of publishing the rebrand, I signed the largest client of my career so far."

And once we did launch, the branding and design spoke for Shan before she even got on a call her clients.

The Goal: Branding That Spoke Volumes

I wanted to transform The Search Cure to emulate confidence, expertise, and professionalism all while maintaining Shan's originality. To me, what made Shan's brand stand out was elements of fun, engaging quips and most importantly, her secret sauce - breaking down complex industry specifics into bite-sized and easy-to-understand terms.

Basically, I wanted anyone who lands on her website to immediately go, "Oh, she definitely knows her stuff!" while also making sure she didn't drown in the sea of other content marketers.

The Planning Process

1. I did my homework.

The research phase of the project included digging into:

• her past and current clients

• what she actually does

• how she communicates

• what makes her different

• how she positions herself in her industry

This helped me map out a brand direction that wasn’t generic or template-y. I also familiarized myself with the terminologies used in her industry and turned to her for feedback to make sure my copy, tone, and style was on-point.

2. I put on my client glasses.

I stepped out of my designer shoes and looked at the website from the lens of a potential client. Then I asked myself:

• Can I find all the information I need with ease?

• Is the website easy to use?

• Where can I see her previous work and portfolio?

• How do I know she's actually good at what she does?

• Is there enough or relevant social proof of her work?

and lastly, would I book Shan if I landed on this website?

These questions helped me map out the user journey for the website. It helped me figure out what to include and what to exclude, how to break the pages and sections, where to place information, and how to make the perusal of the website fun, engaging and informative.

Shannon is not in her starter era. She’s fully in her “expert advisor who shows up to meetings with CEOs and CMOs” era and I had to make sure her website depicted just that.

3. I built a visual identity that actually feels like her.

Clean.
Confident.
Professional but not stiff.
Minimal but not boring.
Warm without being casual.
Fun, original, and unique.

A vibe that says “Yes, I write content and it will change your revenue numbers.”

4. Then I rebuilt her website from scratch.

The site needed:

• clearer structure

• easier navigation

• room to show off her portfolio

• better service breakdowns

• stronger authority cues

And most importantly: her personality baked right into the design.

The Result: A Brand That Converts

While Shan was busy helping her clients convert and rank, her own website wasn't doing the same for her. With the rebrand, The Search Cure set an impression that was hard to ignore. It pitched her before she could say a single word.

Now, The Search Cure looks like what it always was behind the scenes: A high-caliber, trustworthy, incredibly smart content partner for complex industries.

What The Client Had To Say

"This logo, brand redesign and web development project has helped to bring a professional edge to my brand. Before working together, The Search Cure was more of an informal extension of my personal brand. But I needed it to do the talking for me before I ever got on the phone with a prospect - Ghada strategically identified that we wanted my brand to reflect confidence and authority - matching the client results I've achieved. Working with Ghada was absolutely seamless, she came up with a strong creative concept from our very first conversation, requiring minimal tweaks. Ghada's project planning skills came in handy, pulling us through each milestone to keep the project on track. Her attentiveness and quality shone through in all aspects, reinforcing my decision to hire her. I couldn't be happier with the end result - within one week of publishing the rebrand, I signed the largest client of my career so far."

• Shannon Trimble @ The Search Cure

What I Loved The Most

Shan is easily one of the best clients I have worked with so far. Not only did she trust my creative vision to represent who she truly is, but she was also concise with her feedback. I ideated, designed, and created at will, and she guided me with informative feedback at every stage.