DigiKey Core Values Identity and Infographic

Brand System · Internal Campaign · 2023–2024

Building a global employee identity through iteration, simplification, and practical design decisions.

I led the visual design of DigiKey's Core Values program from early logo concepts through the final identity and employee infographic. I developed the information hierarchy, tested folded and single-page formats, and prepared a flexible system that could be translated and distributed to employees around the world.

Core Values logo · Identity and color system · Information hierarchy · Folded infographic concepts · Final one-page infographic · Global translated versions

DigiKey needed a company-wide identity for Ownership, Improvement, Excellence, and People—plus a clear way to explain the behaviors behind each value to employees across regions and languages.

The work began with four ideas—Ownership, Improvement, Excellence, and People—and a large amount of supporting copy describing the behaviors behind each one. I needed to create an identity employees could recognize immediately, then turn the detailed content into a useful piece that could be printed and shared throughout DigiKey.

My early directions treated the four values as interlocking puzzle pieces. I tested how the pieces met, how much language belonged inside the mark, and how circular details affected the composition. Each round removed visual noise and clarified the relationship between the individual values and DigiKey at the center.

Logo exploration 01 — interlocking puzzle pieces connect each value to the whole

Logo exploration 02 — simplified geometry and clearer value names

Logo exploration 03 — testing rhythm, labels, and supporting circular details

The final mark resolves the experiments into a balanced four-part diamond. A dedicated color makes each value easy to identify, while the centered DigiKey wordmark reinforces that the values work together as one company system. The geometry also gave me a repeatable framework for organizing the infographic.

Final Core Values identity — four distinct values organized around one shared center

I first explored a folded infographic because it made the content feel interactive and gave each value its own moment. The cover introduced the four-color system, while the interior spread expanded into behaviors and first-person commitments. It was visually engaging, but the folding structure added complexity to both reading and production.

Infographic exploration V2 — cover structure and early folded format

Infographic exploration V2 — dense content organized across the interior spread

Folded infographic concept — compact cover and four-value color system

Folded infographic concept — full interior hierarchy and employee behaviors

I continued refining the concept through horizontal and vertical versions. These studies helped separate the essential hierarchy—value, promise, behavior, and statement—from the mechanics of the fold. They also revealed that the information did not need a complex object to remain clear and distinctive.

Infographic exploration V3 — testing a wider, simplified reading sequence

Infographic exploration V3 — testing the same hierarchy in a vertical format

Because the infographic would be printed for employees across DigiKey globally, the folded format would have cost more to produce and distribute. I recommended simplifying it to a standard one-page piece. The final design keeps the four-color navigation and modular hierarchy while making the information faster to scan, easier to translate, and more economical to reproduce.

Final printed one-page infographic — designed for company-wide distribution

The final identity and infographic were prepared to accommodate translated copy without losing their visual order. The result is a company-wide system that connects a memorable central mark with a practical employee reference—carrying the same idea from first recognition to detailed understanding.