As our 25th anniversary in 2020 loomed, our new leadership determined it was time to create a new brand that reflected our work, vision, and focus on the future. The firm’s namesake, Kate Keating, had retired, and we wanted a polished new look that confirmed our position as leaders in the wayfinding field going forward. Our new brand needed to create a renewed engagement and higher win rate while retaining our strong reputation.

Inside job

A practice full of designers, we focused our lens inward for this rebrand. A naming firm helped us solidify the name choice, and we took it from there: the logo, collateral, animation/video, website, email campaign, and swag all came from the various creative corners of our office.

Brand promise

Clearstory’s new brand promise, “We bring clarity and identity to the built environment,” positions us as thought leaders in making the built environment more legible while illuminating the stories it holds.

Logo and design

The new logo was designed to reflect a clerestory window—a nod to our work in the architecture field that ties into the concept of “illuminating the way” for people. (We also managed to sneak in a reference to floorplans in the design with openings in the “clerestory” rectangle) Our fresh, visually friendly font and updated color scheme connect us simultaneously to our past and our future.

Results

Since launching our new name and brand in January 2020, our win rate for our stand-alone proposals has gone from 21% to 56%.