Goodnotes

Goodnotes

Goodnotes

Goodnotes

In 2011, Goodnotes started as an improvement to physical paper notes with the ability to take handwritten digital notes, search handwritten text, and organize everything into a digital library. Now, Goodnotes is pioneering generative AI for digital handwriting and its applications in education. The Goodnotes rebrand and release of Goodnotes 6 is the next big step in delivering Goodnotes’ long-term vision of making technology-fueled learning accessible for all.

Goodnotes has an ambitious vision to revolutionize how people learn, create, and take notes. We worked closely with leadership to dive deep and understand the nuances of their vision, company culture, business goals, user community, and brand opportunities. Honing in on the strategic foundations provided company-wide clarity and internal confidence in the rebranding process. Powerful themes around joy and learning surfaced as central emotive ideas.

“The joy of learning” inspired our strategic, verbal, and creative work. Instead of focusing solely on the product tech and features, as incredible as they are, we connected Goodnotes to this deeper meaning which gives the brand more emotional territory to play in. Our strategy led to a clear understanding of Goodnotes’ central ‘Sage’ archetype, helping to define the brand and lay the foundation for the identity. The outcome was a big Idea Worth Rallying Around® that powerfully united internal and outward-facing audiences and activities.

Goodnotes’ new sage-like voice persona is anchored on the pillars of curiosity, empowerment, and joyfulness. This joyful touch ensures learning with Goodnotes is anything but mundane, keeping the spirit of learning vibrant and alive throughout the messaging. Our work included comprehensive verbal guidelines to demonstrate the best ways to talk about the brand. Goodnotes’ voice now speaks with purpose and authenticity, forming stronger connections with its audience and fostering a true sense of self-expression for its users.

The next big opportunity was to reimagine the design language. We faced the classic challenge of evolving the old logo while keeping the brand recognizable. We maintained recognizable and beloved aspects of the original brand, taking cues from the old symbol and primary teal brand color. The design updates include an updated symbol with a “smiling scribble” (designed by Jonathan Mak), which complements the smiling letters of the new wordmark and reinforces the joyfulness of the whole system, bringing to life the very essence and personality of Goodnotes in a fresh way. A symbolic journey line weaves fluidly throughout the system to reinforce the concept. Just like the journey of learning, this line remains ever-evolving and imbued with life.

To support the launch of this epic product update, Motto® also created the campaign concept “Notes Reimagined,” inspired by the intelligent, intuitive, and human-centered nature of the tech. Notes Reimagined shares the vision and genius behind Goodnotes 6 and how it enhances creativity, optimizes time, and makes learning easier and more accessible for people.