Evolution Gave Us Thumbs;
We Gave Them Purpose

Directing an international team, we transformed a remote-first tech startup into a category leader by building a brand system that transcends borders.

Challenge

Our international brand needed a universal language — one that could speak clearly regardless of language.

Insight

Develop a comprehensive identity system anchored by “Tapplets" — custom icons that tell brand stories across cultural boundaries.

Solution

Create a unified global brand that resonates across languages, cultures, and markets — with limited time, budget, and resources.

A Global Identity

The name ‘Tappa' draws from multiple languages — French taper (to type), Spanish tapa (appetizer) — while referencing both the app itself and how users interact with it. After exploring naming conventions and taxonomies, we landed on something globally resonant yet intuitively familiar.

The identity comes to life through a custom geometric humanist font and the Tapplet icon, creating something both innovative and culturally accessible.

L to R

How it started. Name and logo by founder.

How it restarted. Refresh by external agency in progress when I arrived.

How it’s going. Rebrand: new name, custom type, Tapplet icon system.

Tapplets: The Face of Tappa

Our custom icon family let the brand speak across cultures without words. Like emoticons and emojis before them, they convey emotion and personality while transcending language barriers. Even the standard ‘typing' elipsis bubble becomes expressive — wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and eager with anticipation.

App Appeal

We used our app to develop and test ASO best practices — iterating listing elements across Apple and Google stores to maximize visibility and conversions. Through systematic A/B testing of icons, titles, descriptions, and keywords, we established protocols that improved both discoverability and downloads.

Integrated Social Marketing

A sampling of the Social content showcasing (from below) a teaser for TappaText™ (the keyboard’s integrated AI-powered chatbot), Tappa keyboard features (and custom UI icons), and one in a series of “Meet a Tapper” videos.

Tappa.com

Evolving from Mocha Global's relatively subdued presence, we rebuilt the site on a tight timeline and budget to match our bold new identity. The redesign featured vibrant colors, parallax scrolling, and animated Tapplets — bringing energy to every page while building trust through organizational transparency.