SMZ Advertising
Throughout SMZ’s 96+ years in business, a clearly defined brand system had not yet emerged. When an internal design project made this oversight painfully apparent, I made the case to consolidate our company branding and was given the green light to lead the project with a small team.
But the issue was bigger than the need for a style guide. Over three generations of ownership, there were different taglines, cute phrases, company values and competing messages to sift through. Our brand positioning was just as ill-defined as our design system. So the project evolved, and what started as a simple branding exercise became a comprehensive brand book detailing our outward messaging, internal values and a straightforward design system that felt true to the company.
Website
With a strong foundation beneath our feet, it was time to tackle our outdated website and inject some fresh design into it. I was again entrusted to lead the team, and as this was not my first rodeo, I knew we needed a clear, approved plan before we started building.
I created a four-phase roadmap (Plan, Map, Build, Launch) to keep the project moving and the process transparent for stakeholders. Regular check-ins enabled feedback along the way that influenced our design approach instead of derailing progress at the finish line.
The new website build has been completed and is being prepared to go live in October 2026.