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With a strong foundation beneath our feet, it was time to tackle our outdated website and inject some fresh design into it.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 completed website is live and ready to view at smz.com.