Creative Brief

The story of DES touches on the essence of the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley. On the west side of the valley in 1973, Don Mincey was engineering buildings. On the east side, Jim Wetzel was designing them. Both worked for Northern California’s “cowboy” developers, entrepreneurs that were as independent-minded and risk-taking in real estate as their early-tech counterparts. They saw Don and Jim as kindred spirits, and encouraged the two to join forces. Together they became Design and Engineering Systems, a name that promised cross-disciplinary, big-picture design.

As the firm evolved from a two-person start-up to one of the largest interdisciplinary firms on San Francisco’s southern peninsula, the former firm name and branded identity were no longer accurately communicating DES’ breadth of seven core services or innovative, client-focused culture. 

Working closely with Bruce Mau Design, DES Architects + Engineers became DES to encompass all in-house disciplines. The new logo, a prism, expresses DES’ multifaceted capabilities and approach to challenges, embracing diverse perspectives and cultivating a cross-pollination of insights. The primary brand color, citrine, conveys an energetic quality that reflects the firm’s entrepreneurial culture. Brand communications, including a new website, celebrate our commitment to thinking across disciplines in a fresh tone. 

The core priority was creating a new brand that resonated by earning internal buy-in from employees, who were heavily involved throughout the process via company-wide surveys, focus groups, customized training sessions, and a 3-day internal conference and launch event dubbed DES Days.