Transform your Bay Area venture into a recognized climate leader with strategic brand identity development. From positioning frameworks that resonate with Silicon Valley investors to visual systems that showcase your sustainability mission, we craft brand experiences that accelerate partnerships, unlock funding, and establish market authority in one of the world's most competitive innovation ecosystems.
Comprehensive brand-building solutions from strategic positioning to visual execution, designed to elevate your market presence.
Story-first market positioning with 90-minute stakeholder alignment exercises, data-driven audience insights, and competitive analysis that validates creative choices. Define your value proposition and establish clear differentiation in crowded Bay Area markets.
Create comprehensive visual systems including logo design, color palettes, typography scales, and brand element libraries. Build atomic design systems that ensure instant recognition and omnichannel consistency as you scale.
Design timeless logo systems with primary marks, secondary variations, and responsive lockups. Establish construction grids and usage rules that maintain quality across all applications from pitch decks to trade show booths.
Document comprehensive brand standards with 50-100 page brand books, digital asset toolkits, and voice/tone frameworks. Create living documents that scale with your growth and ensure consistency across teams and agencies.
4-6 week accelerated brand development including narrative hierarchy, visual identity, iconography, WCAG-AA palette, and brand guidelines mini-book. Perfect for startups needing rapid market entry with professional credibility.
Evidence-backed competitive positioning strategy with value proposition frameworks and market differentiation matrices. Align stakeholder vision and establish clear pathways to category leadership in sustainability markets.
Discovery & Strategic Alignment
We begin with 90-minute stakeholder workshops to uncover your mission, competitive landscape, and target audiences. This phase includes market research, competitive positioning analysis, and value proposition development—establishing the strategic foundation that informs all creative decisions.
Brand Positioning & Narrative Development
Visual Identity Creation
Brand Guidelines Documentation
Launch Support & Team Training
Our brand identity work has helped ventures secure funding, accelerate partnerships, and establish market leadership.
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"Working with What If has been transformative — faster feature roll outs, reduced development costs, and a fantastic user experience. They quickly understood our vision and offered proactive ideas"
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"Working with What If has been transformative — faster feature roll outs, reduced development costs, and a fantastic user experience. They quickly understood our vision and offered proactive ideas"
"They very quickly understood the kind of messaging that was important to us and how to translate that into a compelling visual experience. I can't recommend them enough!"
"The extremely high quality of outputs with fast turn around times and availability of team at short notice has been perfect for our requirements"
"Working with What If has been transformative — faster feature roll outs, reduced development costs, and a fantastic user experience. They quickly understood our vision and offered proactive ideas"
We combine strategic rigor with creative excellence, delivering brand identities that drive real business outcomes.
We specialize in sustainability ventures, understanding the unique challenge of communicating complex environmental solutions to Bay Area's sophisticated investor and enterprise audiences.
Every visual decision stems from research-backed positioning strategy, ensuring your brand authentically reflects your mission while resonating with target stakeholders in competitive markets.
Workshop-to-launch in 4-6 weeks with turnaround times as fast as 48 hours for revisions, keeping pace with Bay Area's demanding startup timelines and funding cycles.
3x cheaper than hiring in-house senior designers with remote-first operations across San Francisco and Bangalore, delivering enterprise-quality work at startup-friendly investment levels.
Founded by IIT Kharagpur alumni with deep climate tech focus
Co-founder
Before co-founding What if Design in 2020, Akhila spent years designing innovative LEED-certified buildings and leading $100M+ urban interventions that impacted millions of people. Her architectural background brings a unique systems-thinking approach to brand identity—viewing brands as cohesive ecosystems rather than isolated visual elements. At IIT Kharagpur, where she met Tejas, Akhila developed her philosophy that great design must balance aesthetic excellence with strategic purpose. After witnessing firsthand how built environments shape human behavior and community outcomes, she became passionate about applying design thinking to accelerate climate solutions. Her work on nation-wide campaigns and digital products for millions of users demonstrated how thoughtful brand experiences can drive meaningful behavior change. Now focused exclusively on climate tech ventures, Akhila leads brand strategy and visual identity development for organizations addressing the world's most pressing environmental challenges, bringing the same rigor she applied to urban planning to help sustainability startups establish market credibility and unlock catalytic capital.
Co-founder
Tejas brings an unusual combination of business strategy and design excellence to What if Design, shaped by his experience driving growth for OYO across three countries and training 1,700+ people throughout India. Before co-founding the studio with Akhila in 2020, he developed deep expertise in scaling operations, building teams, and understanding what drives business outcomes—perspectives that now inform every brand identity project. His journey began at IIT Kharagpur studying architecture alongside Akhila, where late-night collaborations on freelance design work planted the seeds for their future partnership. After years in high-growth startup environments, Tejas recognized that most climate tech ventures struggle not from lack of innovation but from inability to communicate their value effectively to investors, partners, and customers. This insight led to What if Design's mission-driven pivot toward climate work in 2022. Tejas now leads client strategy and business development, ensuring that every brand identity system aligns with growth objectives—whether preparing for funding rounds, launching pilots with enterprise buyers, or establishing category leadership in competitive Bay Area markets. His pragmatic approach balances creative ambition with commercial reality, delivering brands that don't just look impressive but actively accelerate business momentum.
How long does a complete brand identity development project take?
Our standard brand identity development process takes 4-6 weeks from kickoff to final delivery. This includes discovery workshops, strategic positioning, visual identity design with multiple revision rounds, and comprehensive brand guidelines documentation. For startups needing faster turnaround, we offer Minimum Viable Brand packages that deliver core brand assets in 4 weeks. Complex rebranding projects for established companies may extend to 8-10 weeks depending on stakeholder coordination requirements and asset migration needs.
What deliverables are included in a brand identity project?
How much does brand identity development cost?
Do you work with companies outside the Bay Area?
What makes your brand identity process different for climate tech companies?
Can you help with brand strategy even if we already have a visual identity?
How do you ensure our brand will resonate with Bay Area investors and enterprise buyers?
What happens after the brand identity is delivered?
Let's discuss how strategic brand identity can accelerate your climate tech venture's growth and market impact.
Certified member committed to climate action through design
Brand work for Accel Partners portfolio companies
5+ years exclusively serving sustainability ventures
Share your vision and we'll respond within 24 hours with insights on how strategic brand development can accelerate your climate tech venture's growth.
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in
For immediate assistance, feel free to give us a direct call at You can also send us a quick email at team@whatifdesign.in