We completely missed branding and marketing out of our first plan for REX, and really underestimated how important branding is and how difficult it is to get right. We assumed that people would be so giddy at the idea of an Android scanner that they would offer all kinds of inappropriate things for the promise of a free licence. Oh how wrong we were.

Our pretty large community and network exhausted quickly. When we could get people to the product there was no website, just a crappy page on our Digital Interruption one which didn't fit with REX at all. We realised that without a properly designed website and app people thought we were trying to hack them, as we looked sadly at better presented free stuff on GitHub.

We turned desperately to our good friends Corporation Popto help us. The first scoping meeting was over zoom where I sat in my sister's kitchen cradling Batman the cat like a baby describing a T-REX with laser eyes that eats bugs.

What followed was our iconic REX logo, which is already beloved and the focal point of our shiny new website. Added to swag we have used it to bribe our lovely test users and feedback groups, the heroes in orange hats, which are now so coveted that people will complete challenges for a chance to win one.

What we learned about branding and marketing:

• Branding is so important. It will dictate how you want your product to be perceived and how you want your users to feel. This will help you find your tone of voice and communication style. We went with informal, welcoming and playful.
• Unless you are really good at this, get the professionals in. This stuff is a skill. One we did not have but are learning, but we will never be able to do it without help. It really is worth the expense.
• However much time you think branding will take, times it by..... Well we’re not really sure, but it will take more time than you think. This was our first rodeo and we didn't know how to ride a horse. Design is important - allow the time for it.
• Have a clear idea of how you want your product to be perceived. The aim of REX was to be accessible and friendly, and so the adorable REX logo and all the surrounding bright colours on our shiny new website were born.
• Don’t worry if you hate the first version, it will not look like what you had in your head and, believe us, that’s a good thing, these guys know what they’re doing.
• Find designers that you click with, share humour with, get on with, communication is key. Corporation Pop are the cool kids everyone at school wants to hang out with so we knew they’d be perfect for REX. They also love orange as much as we do. More seriously they are a design house that also make apps. They understood our audience because they are our audience.
• Give designers clear feedback, they can only make changes that you ask of them. So, if you have something you need, ask for it and if you don’t like something say so.
• People **really** like orange hats.