Estate Intel
Brand identity and illustration system for an African proptech startup.
Context: Freelance / Role: Brand Design - Illustration / Year: 2016
Overview
Estate Intel is a property technology startup providing market intelligence on Africa’s real estate sector. At an early stage of the company’s formation, the founder sought to establish a credible, coherent visual identity that could communicate trust, geographic relevance, and analytical depth to clients and investors.
My Role
Working directly with the founder, I supported Estate Intel as a Brand Design Consultant, helping translate the company’s vision into a clear and cohesive visual system.
My contributions included:
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Refining early brand direction and visual tone
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Designing foundational brand assets and sales materials
- Creating custom illustrations representing key African cities and landmarks
Illustration System: Place as Signal
A key part of the work involved illustrating landmarks and buildings from prominent locations across Africa.
These illustrations served multiple purposes:
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Visually grounding the brand in African real estate markets
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Humanizing abstract market intelligence
- Creating a recognizable, ownable visual language distinct from generic proptech aesthetics
Applications
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Website visuals
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Presentation decks
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Sales and investor materials
Impact
The resulting visual system helped Estate Intel:
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Present itself as credible and regionally grounded
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Communicate complex market insights more accessibly
- Support early client engagement and investor conversations
Conclusion
This project reflects an early-stage collaboration where design functioned as strategic infrastructure, supporting clarity, trust, and growth at a formative moment in the company’s journey.