Digikala | E-commerce Ecosystem
One brand, many audiences: making Iran's largest e-commerce ecosystem consistent and clear across every channel.
Digikala is Iran's largest e-commerce ecosystem, spanning a marketplace, content, logistics and financial services, with a family of sub-brands around it. I joined as a freelance communication specialist and visual designer, working with the digital marketing team at a point where the brand's materials were inconsistent across teams and campaigns weren't reaching the audiences they were meant for.
The work started from the message. I turned early, raw campaign ideas into stories for two audiences, customers and sellers, rewriting Persian copy from the Content Factory and defining tone of voice, content pillars and the editorial plan. To fix inconsistency at its source, I designed and laid out the brand guidelines, covering core symbols, colour, typography, clear space, sub-brand lockups and applications from department profiles to billboards, together with a system of 184 icons in three sets used consistently across every channel.
Campaigns were then carried across social media, website, app, billboards and events, keeping one story, one voice and one visual system at every touchpoint. Over 2023–24 this work contributed to a period in which Digikala reached 5.5 million average daily visitors, more than 466,000 sellers and 3.8 million content pieces created for products, while credit purchases grew by 129% (Digikala Annual Report 2023–24). The brand's main Instagram account speaks to 1.8 million followers.
Digikala
One brand, many audiences: rebuilding how Iran's largest e-commerce ecosystem communicates.
Two problems, one cost
Inconsistent brand
Materials from different teams looked and sounded different. With no shared system, every campaign, department and channel interpreted the brand in its own way.
Campaigns missing their audience
The ideas were there, but the way they were told didn't connect with the customers and sellers they were meant for.
Three principles behind every piece
Tell it for the reader
The same idea needs a different story for a customer and for a seller.
One system, every channel
Rules clear enough for any team to apply without a designer checking.
Clarity before persuasion
People don't engage with what they don't understand. Explain first, promote second.
Two audiences, one voice
Customers
What they need
Need to understand services quickly and trust the brand.
What my work gave them
Clearer stories and consistent campaigns across every channel.
Sellers
What they need
Need clear, professional communication about the platform.
What my work gave them
Messaging adapted to a business audience and consistent materials.
From raw idea to every channel
Brief
Raw ideas and goals from digital marketing
Audience
Customers, sellers, or both
Story
Message, angle and rewritten copy
Design
Assets built inside the brand system
Adapt
Social, web, app, billboards, events
From raw ideas to stories that connect
I turned early campaign ideas from the digital marketing team into stories for each audience, rewriting Persian copy from the Content Factory and changing how each story was told.
Tone of voice
Adapted for customers and for sellers.
Content pillars
A clear structure for every channel.
Editorial plan
What goes out, where and when.
Rules any team can apply
I designed and laid out Digikala's brand guidelines: a reference designers, marketers and partner teams can use on their own.
Brand identity © Digikala. Guidelines document designed and laid out by Zoha Kharratha.
The same system at billboard scale
184 icons, one visual language
Three sets (SEO & Marketing, Business, Teamwork) in a single outline style, used consistently across every channel.
Feature tutorial: photo search in five steps
One action per slide, each paired with a real app screen, published as a collaboration between @digikalamag and @digikalacom.
One recognisable feed
Tutorials, partner campaigns, launches and seasonal posts, held together by Pomegranate Red, the smile signature and one typographic voice.
Results
The growth my communication contributed to
Over 2023–24, the communication I designed contributed to these results.
Source: Digikala Annual Report 2023–24
Reflection
Good communication is less about one brilliant message and more about making the right message easy to understand for the person receiving it, and easy to repeat for every team that sends it.