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Extended Case Study

Kosei Performance Partners

September 2023

Problem Statement

Drew, a professional rugby player and former USA Olympic athlete, envisioned creating a high-performance lifestyle brand that extended beyond sports to encompass a comprehensive approach to elite performance. With a strong network in the sports world and ambitious goals, Drew needed a brand name, logo, identity, and website that matched his vision.

The challenge was to design a professional and aspirational brand capable of attracting elite athletes and partners while maintaining adaptability for future growth.

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Goal

To create a scalable brand and website that embodied elite performance, professionalism, and adaptability. The aim was to position Kosei Performance Partners as a trusted agency for athletes and partners, capturing a modern, high-performance aesthetic.

Discovery Phase

The project began with an in-depth Discovery Session to clarify Drew’s goals and aspirations for Kosei Performance Partners.

Key Takeaways:

  • Drew envisioned the brand reflecting Olympic-level professionalism and an inclusive, aspirational lifestyle ethos.
  • The name and identity needed to stand out in the competitive sports agency space while remaining modern and timeless.
  • The website’s top priority was an engaging homepage to highlight the brand’s mission, featured athletes, and partnerships, with room for future growth.

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Ideation Phase

Brand Name Development

After collaborative brainstorming, the name Kosei Performance Partners was selected:

  • Kosei (個性) means “individuality” or “uniqueness” in Japanese, symbolizing the personalized approach to helping each client achieve their potential.
  • The name reflects Drew’s high-performance ethos, inspired by Japanese values of precision, respect, and excellence.

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Mood Board Creation

Drew shared personal images from his journey as an Olympic athlete and professional rugby player, emphasizing themes of focus, resilience, and competition.

  • An initial mood board was created to explore high-performance visuals using Drew’s imagery and energetic color palettes.
  • A refined Japanese-inspired mood board incorporated screenshots of sleek Japanese designs, dark palettes, and bold red accents to establish a clean, modern, and professional aesthetic.

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Define Phase

Project Scope

Short Term:

  • Launch a foundational homepage featuring:
    • A grid of five featured athletes with dropdowns for details like eligibility, position, and achievements.
    • Introduction to the brand, mission statement, and partnerships.

Long Term:

  • Expand the site to include CMS-driven athlete profiles with individual pages showcasing highlights, awards, and media.

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Information Architecture

The website’s structure prioritized a bold homepage, with key sections including:

  • Featured Athletes: Highlighting elite athletes with dropdowns for details such as eligibility, position, and achievements.
  • Mission Statement: Introducing the brand’s vision, supported by bios of Drew and the co-founder.
  • About Us: Outlining services such as legal support, contract negotiation, financial advice, and partnerships.

This structure allowed scalability to accommodate future growth, such as individual athlete profile pages.

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Design Phase

Typography Selection

The typography for Kosei blended traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern design principles:

  • Primary Font: Dela One Gothic — Inspired by Japanese brush calligraphy, this bold and creative typeface brought individuality to the logo.
  • Secondary Font: Kaisei Opti — A serif typeface inspired by Kaisho script, combining sophistication with contemporary style.

Logo Design

The logo captured individuality, progress, and professionalism, featuring:

  • “Kosei” written in Dela One Gothic, with a red circle (inspired by the Japanese flag) behind white kanji characters for “Kosei.”
  • Below, the text “Performance Partners” used Kaisei Opti, creating a professional complement to the bold logo.
  • Cherry blossom silhouettes subtly integrated into mockups for elegance and cultural depth.

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Review Phase

Website Mockups and Development

The website translated the brand’s bold identity into a clean, scalable design:

  • Hero Section: Featuring the logo on a sleek dark background, paired with a clear call-to-action.
  • Color Palette: Black, red, and grey tones consistent with the Japanese-inspired mood board.
  • Typography: Consistently applied Dela One Gothic for headings and Kaisei Opti for body text.

Built in Webflow, the website featured responsive layouts and interactive elements to ensure a premium user experience. Its CMS capabilities allowed Drew to easily expand content, including individual athlete profiles.

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Outcome

The branding and website successfully brought Drew’s bold vision to life:

  • The brand identity balanced individuality with cultural sophistication.
  • The website design reflected professionalism while offering scalability for future growth.
  • Drew reported a surge in client inquiries and positive feedback from partners who praised the branding as “unique and powerful.”

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Client Feedback

“Joakes did an amazing job capturing my goals for Kosei Performance Partners. The sleek design and cultural elements make it stand out, and I’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from clients and partners alike.” — Drew

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Key Metrics

  • Increased client inquiries within the first month of launch.
  • Positive feedback from potential partners who found the branding modern and unique.
Website link: https://kosei-performance.webflow.io/