Fastly IPO
Fastly's journey from a startup focused on engineers to a mature enterprise-ready company culminated in a pivotal moment with its IPO. The imperative was twofold: to assert its robustness as a competitor capable of handling projects from large enterprises and to establish trustworthiness for these significant ventures. The brand design team faced the challenge of leveraging the IPO to declare maturity while celebrating a business victory.
Navigating a compressed timeline, the design process involved understanding the nuances of available design components and aligning with New York Stock Exchange standards. Facilitating collaborative conversations with business leaders and the brand design team, I ensured a unified vision for Fastly's appearance at the IPO.
Outside NSYE
Inside NYSE on trading floor
To establish a cohesive theme across all touchpoints, we initiated an audit of all NYSE displays and design opportunities. After considering the broader context, we developed three distinct concepts: one centered on a simple red logo, another featuring the brand pattern Nimbus, and a third inspired by illustration styles. Collaborating closely with business stakeholders, we strategically selected the simple red logo display as our unifying theme for its potential to make the maximum impact.
Based on schematics provided by the NYSE for each display opportunity, we generated numerous designs tailored to fit these parameters. The most eye-catching prominent centerpiece—a large banner showcased in front of the iconic NYSE building on Wall Street.
We developed a motion graphics video to announce our IPO, strategically used across social media platforms to engage our engineering audience. The video cleverly mirrored an initial code commit—a nod to our programming community, integral to Fastly's foundation—while reaffirming our enduring commitment to our engineering roots in a playful manner. This resonated with engineers, underscoring Fastly's dedication to their world and signaling an elevated stance with a metaphorical code commit.
Fastly's presence at the NYSE was impressive, marked by a banner outside, consistent digital displays inside, and targeted email communications. This success heightened brand awareness and recognition, reflected in the IPO's positive reception, media coverage on CNN, and increased stock value. The design effort, particularly the motion graphics video, contributed to Fastly's portrayal as a promising and growing company, attracting investors. A notable outcome was the recognition of our design team's excellence, resulting in personal invitations for myself and the lead designer to attend the IPO event at the NYSE, surpassing the tenure-based selection criteria.