Smart Start
Helping small towns start & grow their small business ecosystems.
Year
2022
Industry
B2B Services
Services
Website Design, Visual Identity
The Challenge
SmartStart Dashboard exists to demystify the question every aspiring entrepreneur asks: 'How the hell do I actually start a business?' Their platform serves everyone from cafe owners to mechanics, guiding them through the unglamorous-but-essential stuff—EINs, taxes, legal paperwork—that makes or breaks a launch. The challenge? Create a brand that makes bureaucracy feel less like a barrier and more like a simple checklist.
Entrepreneurship is a journey, and this needed to feel like a helpful travel companion, not another obstacle.
The Solution
Main Street became our central metaphor -- an illustrated ecosystem showing every type of business SmartStart supports side by side. We kept the palette bright but balanced (enthusiastic, not patronizing) and added flowing, curved elements that create visual momentum.
The illustration style walks a careful line: simple enough that tax forms don't feel scarier, playful enough that the journey feels less lonely. The brand says 'yes, this is complex, but we're in it together.'
© 2026 TwoLips Creative
© 2026 TwoLips Creative