Building a brand for architects
- Brand Design
- Naming
- Social Design
- Website Design
Brief
Architecture is interesting; architecture firms are not. Not all firms, but many are named like law offices with lots of last names and ampersands connecting those names. AndSo was approached by a modern boutique architecture firm to completely reinvent itself with a new name, brand identity, website, and social media presence to set itself apart from the rest.
Naming
We came up with a variety of names—about several hundred. The strategic values guided us toward a seemingly impossible set of goalposts: It needed to be playful and inviting (but not silly), clever (but not too clever), and memorable (for the right reasons). We came up with “Good Standing”. After all, the things they make are good. And standing. And the partners are members of the architecture guild “in good standing.”
Brand Identity
The brand system draws inspiration from dot grid paper, a staple in the architecture world and the foundation of countless designs. The word mark features stylized circles that form the primary logo, while enlarged individual shapes are integrated throughout the system as key visual elements for content and imagery. By incorporating the dot grid into the visual identity, the design gains added structure and texture.
“Representing our firm as a unified brand was a more complicated process than we had initally appreciated. We’re grateful our team at AndSo is so skilled in this process and were able to lead us to a brand we’re very proud of.”
Jessie Shifman, Partner, Architect
Design Applications
The most important promotional channel an architect has is an excellent building. More than anything, Good Standing needed a clear lawn sign to hammer into the ground in front of a project. Of course, it also needs a website, social media presence, business cards, and more. One year later, Good Standing has doubled in size and doubled its revenue. As of this writing, it is working on more than 15 active construction sites.
