ASSIGNMENT

Refine the brand for an architecture and design firm to align its identity with its ethos and suggest its curious and quirky point of view.

SERVICES

Brand Strategy

Foundational Language

Brand Identity

Wildly diverse in style and form, Droese Raney’s body of work is enduring, curious, structured yet unexpected. It turns out the same set of words perfectly captures their group dynamic and approach. Striking a balance among these attributes guided us as we drove toward the right design solution for their refined brand identity.

ENDURING
CURIOUS
STRUCTURED
UNEXPECTED

After spending time with them in their two adjoined spaces—one, a reasonably buttoned-up design office, and the R&D lab, a designer’s playground-gallery-bar-workshop and the office’s Rorschach inkblot—we realized the inherent contrasts in the spaces symbolized the firm’s rich difference.

Their classic, understated, and structured approach provides ballast to the highly curious, sociable group. That they genuinely enjoy each other and have a damn good time together is evident in the work.

During an early design meeting with their team, we recounted the story of first driving by their main studio in West Dallas before we were familiar with the firm. At first glance, the office is unassuming—another single-story brick building occupying a corner on Sylvan Avenue. As we drew closer, we noticed  its considered landscape, and steel gray painted exterior punctuated with striking windows and a perforated-steel gate.

We glanced in our rear view mirrors for one more glimpse of the handsome structure—and saw the firm’s name reflected back at us in reverse.

Versions of the new identity epitomize the firm’s curious, playful sensibility and affinity for the unexpected. 

Beauty rooted in meaning.

© Overstory Design 2024