Case Studies
Project Gallery
The Animal Foundation
Brand Identity, Architectural Signage, Wayfinding and Experiential Graphics
The Esser Design team partnered with The Animal Foundation in Las Vegas Nevada to design turnkey Architectural Signage and Experiential Graphics for the new Englestad Adoption Center, renovated Lied Animal Shelter and the surrounding campus. This project also included a new brand identity with comprehensive brand standard and guidelines.
The interior and exterior signage and the interior experiential graphics, such as the donor recognition wall and wayfinding kiosks, will complement the architectural and interior design and reflect The Animal Foundation branding and identity program.
ASU Elevate
Building an Experiential Learning brand and website to help ASU students go higher.
Working with ASU’s University College, our challenge was to rebrand their Experiential Learning offering to something that would not only inspire participation, but create a collective hub for students, connectors, creators and school leadership alike. The rebrand included a renaming of the program to ASU Elevate to reflect the purpose of experiential learning – to elevate the opportunities students gain by learning outside of the classroom. We further developed the program’s website, digital display banners, promotional material, and social media posts.
With the ultimate goal of creating one place where students can take their education to the next level by exploring a wide range of real-world experiences found in field work, study abroad, internships and clubs, the Elevate brand was born. Elevate.asu.edu taps into students’ passion and desire to find purpose in their academic journey. Faculty and staff play key roles in promoting Elevate’s Experience Finder students to customize their paths to experiences in and out of the classroom.
To see the ASU Elevate launch video click here
MODIGENT
A New Corporate Name, Flexible Brand and National Launch
As Pueblo Mechanical expanded and increased market share, acquiring companies coast to coast, it became essential for the company to rebrand itself as a holding company with a new national name and identity. The overall goal for Pueblo was to establish a unified portfolio with all the current Pueblo locations – and the many businesses to come – operating as a single brand. And with that, Modigent was born.
Along with the name MODIGENT, which reflects the company’s constant alignment between professionalism, experience and commitment to customer success, we developed the positioning line “All ways forward” which speaks to the many directions in which the company is expanding and the various capabilities it offers under one roof. The new corporate brand identity and messaging will consistently communicate their national presence, as well as the breadth and depth of resources and services provided as a leader in their industry.
The creative brand elements have been thoughtfully crafted to be flexible, allowing for application and adaptation by multiple acquired companies. This enables overall brand continuity and consistent messaging to internal and external audiences as the Company continues to grow and expand nationally.
Education Forward Arizona
Ask Benji – AI Chatbot and Digital Assistant Character Design
Ask Benji is an AI chatbot and digital assistant created to help Arizona high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA. This will help contribute to the end goal of increasing the number of Arizona students receiving financial aid to attend college and completing their post-secondary education.
Education Forward Arizona, who manages the Ask Benji program since its creation in 2019, was looking to refresh the brand with updated character design, graphics and messaging to give it a more current, fun and engaging look and feel aligning better with the high school senior target audience.
San Diego Opera
Brand Identity, Website Design, Business Materials, Marketing Collateral
San Diego Opera is a highly regarded member of the international opera community and an invaluable cultural resource to the San Diego region. Their mission is to deliver exceptional performances and accessible programs to diverse audiences, focusing on the expressive power of the human voice. The leadership team desired to better align with their culturally diverse community and engage new audiences, while still maintaining their relationship with existing patrons.
The current SDO branding was outdated and required a fresh, modern approach to embrace the growing diversity in the San Diego community. New brand creative, positioning and messaging was carefully crafted to emphasize the Opera’s accessibility and approachability.
As part of the brand launch, we developed a robust toolkit including various templates and communications materials for the client’s use, including a comprehensive Brand Style Guide to inform proper usage of the new program. We created numerous outreach, marketing and advertising campaign deliverables to drive engagement, fundraising and ticket sales for the upcoming season’s performances and events.
Helix Human Performance
Brand Identity, Website and Business System
Helix Human Performance, a new athletic training experience launched Fall of 2021 in North Scottsdale. This all-inclusive training facility is being built to serve serious athletes focused on competitive sports from the High School, Collegiate, and even the Professional level.
When it comes to sports performance training, one size does not fit all. Every human body is different and requires its own unique approach to improvement. Helix combines expert trainers, innovative technology, and highly-trained physical therapists to analyze the smallest details of your movement to maximize performance.
Pueblo Mechanical & Controls
Brand Identity, Corporate Brochure and Website
Because of additional company acquisitions, Pueblo, an industry leader in HVAC and control systems, needed to update their branding and communication materials. We led them through the research, design, and implementation stages of this process to better speak to their high caliber solutions, customer service, and expanding business model.
We began with a redesign of their brand identity, positioning statement, business system, corporate print collateral. Then designed and developed a corporate website featuring their newly-created branding and marketing content highlighting the use of video in a dynamic way.
Success is a mindset. One that is measured, not solely by the bottom line, but by the willingness and ability to align what you do best with what your customer desires to accomplish. ‘All Systems Go’ was developed as a tagline that speaks to this idea and Pueblo's willingness to always improve their customers' organizations.
The Phoenix Symphony
Season Brochures
We partner with the Phoenix Symphony to create a memorable and compelling branding campaign to help market each upcoming season. Symphony leadership understands the dynamic nature of the Phoenix entertainment market and the multitude of choices the arts-going public has each year. They strive to create connections with the community through its use of various venues, providing patrons with a variety of programming and package options.
Each year, we are tasked with developing a unifying theme to promote and encapsulate all of these unique programming options. This theme is woven into the annual season brochure, which is designed to announce the entire season and generate season ticket sales.
PING Golf
Product Catalogs, Packaging & Point of Purchase
PING driver and iron product catalogs are updated semi-annually along with all packaging and point of purchase displays. Product photography and text highlight the features and benefits of each product line for a synergistic brand story.
Consumer packaging for PING's line of leather Golf Gloves was designed to differentiate their product from the competition and make it stand out at the point of sale. Various colors were used to differentiate between the three product lines.
Arizona Game & Fish Department
Invasive Species Campaign
For the Arizona Game and Fish Invasive Species Campaign, creating awareness of the aquatic invasive species issue, required a bit of visual nostalgia through beautiful landscape imagery. Idealizing our iconic Arizona lakes through illustration got the attention of all watercraft users and helped express how they could take the proper steps to inspect and decontaminate. Every craft. Every time.
Sunstate Equipment Company
Business Development Materials
One of the Southwest's premier construction equipment rental companies, Sunstate is currently expanding into markets across the country, transitioning from a regional focus to a national presence. With each new market, we helped design and develop targeted marketing materials to introduce them and their range of services while also positioning them as a lasting partner and much more than a rental equipment provider. We established strong brand guidelines through our cohesive use of color, typography and memorable imagery.
ASU Department of Global Security
DEF CON 27 Event Branding
Using the concept developed in 2018 as a starting point, we created the 2019 Conference look and feel. The 2019 logo, created specifically for that year's competition, was applied to challenge coins, t-shirts, a large standing conference banner and individual team banners.
City of Phoenix
Economic Development Brochure
The City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department wanted to create a Community Profile brochure to promote Phoenix and its various offerings to Business Relocation Specialists. It used full-page imagery combined with colorful infographics to create a visually-appealing piece that was distributed during Super Bowl XLIX week. Additional posters, signage and custom inserts were also designed and displayed.
Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau
Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan
This important publication goes into detail about the city's strategy to connect visitors to long-term destination sustainably. The Sustainable Tourism Plan was designed with all recycled material, which aligns with Sedona's unique natural environment and reinforces the city's sustainability goals.
Arizona Office of Tourism
Annual Economic Impact Report
The Arizona Office of Tourism utilizes its Annual Economic Impact Report to deliver yearly travel and tourism industry data. Each year, we present the client team with a new theme line, design concept, and refined format to better organize and deliver that year's content. Infographics, charts and graphs are created to communicate the data in a visually appealing, easy-to-understand manner.
City of Phoenix Water Services
Water Conservation Campaign
We developed an inspirational campaign creative and messaging foundation in the initial year of this three-year campaign, and deployed it widely and successfully through a multi-platform media plan.
The goal of the campaign is to inform the public about the city’s efforts to prepare for drought and water shortages, conserve our most vital resource, and to inspire residents to “see water differently” and do their part to support these efforts.
As we transitioned into year two and three, we further expanded the campaign theme and messaging strategy to promote specific water conservation ideas to empower residents to join in. Additionally, we continue to research innovative media opportunities to engage new audiences and expand market awareness.
DMB Community Life
DMB Community Life Website
Through the DMB Community Life branding process, a new website was created to position this unique Community Life Model and distinguish its communities. The new DMB Community Life brand is now bringing its unique Community Life association management and developer services to clients nationwide and for a variety of project types.
The objective was to update the DMB Community Life branding to reflect its fun, approachable, responsible and purpose-driven culture, bringing the new brand positioning “People and Places with Purpose” to life.
Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau
Sedona Annual Report for Residents and Partners
From the Sedona Chamber's perspective, responsible destination management must balance the interaction of tourism, traffic, economic health, our unique environment and Sedona’s quality of life. We created this annual report to promote the Chamber's sustainable tourism strategies, which helps form new traffic management ideas, promotes longer stays with more per-visitor spending, and emphasizes respect for the culture and environment of the area.
Arizona Theatre Company
Seasonal Show Art & Print Collateral
Based on the theme 'The Curtain Rises,' we developed the unique look and feel for all of ATC's 2019-2020 season promotional material. The cover design, as well as the imagery and content within, connected the series of 6 plays in one thematic approach to encourage and increase season ticket sales. The brochure delivered important information to patrons about each show, including schedules, venues, subscriptions and ticket prices, as well as ATC’s education endeavors and how patrons can support the organization beyond purchasing tickets.
A series of custom illustrations were concepted and then commissioned from nationally recognized artists to promote this season of shows. Conceptual illustration, along with a stylized title treatment, are representative of the overall tone, theme and plot for each show. These final designs for each show art expression must be flexible enough to work in many different sizes and proportions, as well as media types, for all the demands of the upcoming season’s promotional cycle.
Roosevelt School District No. 66
Dream Big Enrollment Campaign
Roosevelt School District No. 66 was seeking a strategic partner to conceptualize and develop a streamlined marketing approach, look and feel, and create a comprehensive toolkit for their enrollment and communication efforts. Prior to our involvement, the District had experienced high turnover and did not have any branded marketing or advertising materials. In addition to content design strategy and marketing services for the District and all of its schools, we were asked to provide media strategy, planning and buying services for their enrollment and marketing campaigns.
Since we began working with Roosevelt School District No. 66, we have developed a cohesive branded look throughout all of the District’s marketing, advertising and communication materials and provided them with the necessary support for all of their graphic design needs. Our partnership with the District continues to grow on both a strategic level, as well as a creative design, marketing and media planning level.
Arizona Office of Tourism
Industry Website
This site serves as the research and marketing resource for the Arizona tourism industry and media representatives around the world. It includes research data, marketing plans and program information regarding the Arizona Office of Tourism's strategic program of work. Figure-based data is created in a powerful infographic style so the numbers can speak for themselves. The backdrop for this vital information contains majestic images of some of the state’s most iconic tourist destinations.
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Guide to Arizona Agriculture
This comprehensive guide provides a well-rounded perspective of Arizona agriculture and illustrates how vital it is to the state's economy. Producing this guide is one way the Arizona Department of Agriculture works to support this industry. They encourage farming, ranching and agribusiness, while protecting the well-being of people, plants, animals and the environment, and safeguard commerce, consumers and natural resources.
ASU Department of Global Security
DEF CON 26 Event Branding
Held every summer in Las Vegas, DEF CON® is one of the oldest and largest hacker conventions where 25 international qualifying teams compete to find, analyze and exploit software vulnerabilities. Beginning in 2018, ASU’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) team oversaw the annual DEF CON 3-day competition. They wanted to develop materials specifically for the 2018 event, as well as an overall concept and logo that could be used for the next three to four years.
Our challenge was to create a look and feel that would speak to this particular audience, while also providing a foundation for future work, as different themes are selected every year. The logo that was created for the 2018 competition was applied to challenge coins, t-shirts, a large standing conference banner and individual team banners.
DMB Community Life
Brand Positioning & Marketing Series
Through the DMB Community Life branding process, new marketing tools were created to uniquely position this Community Life Model and distinguish its communities. The objective was to update the DMB Community Life branding to reflect its fun, approachable, responsible and purpose-driven culture, bringing the new brand positioning “People and Places with Purpose” to life, Also, the refinement of the Brand Guidelines reflected this brand evolution, and effectively demonstrated and standardized the use of the brand components.
Esser Design worked with the internal marketing team to develop a robust creative brief that outlined the primary and secondary target audiences so that we could hone in on a strategic messaging strategy and design a strong series of marketing pieces to reflect these goals.
State of Arizona – Capitol Rideshare
Marketing Brochure
This travel reduction program for the State of Arizona offers a variety of incentives and resources to help state employees share the ride during their daily commute. We were tasked with creating the program's brand identity and initial communication pieces to promote the new program.
Roosevelt School District No. 66
Inspire Enrollment Campaign
Roosevelt School District No. 66 was seeking a strategic partner to conceptualize and develop a streamlined marketing approach, look and feel, and create a comprehensive toolkit for their enrollment and communication efforts. Prior to our involvement, the District had experienced high turnover and did not have any branded marketing or advertising materials. In addition to content design strategy and marketing services for the District and all of its schools, we were asked to provide media strategy, planning and buying services for their enrollment and marketing campaigns.
Since we began working with Roosevelt School District No. 66, we have developed a cohesive branded look throughout all of the District’s marketing, advertising and communication materials and provided them with the necessary support for all of their graphic design needs. Our partnership with the District continues to grow on both a strategic level, as well as a creative design, marketing and media planning level.
Arizona Theatre Company
2018/19 Season Collateral
In 2018, we recommended developing a seasonal thematic approach to tie the series of 6 plays together. After reviewing several strategies and themes, "Scene in America" was selected, along with a visual execution based on a kaleidoscope of color and reflection.
A series of custom illustrations were concepted and then commissioned from nationally recognized artists to promote this season of shows. Conceptual illustration, along with a stylized title treatment, are representative of the overall tone, theme and plot for each show. These final designs for each show art expression must be flexible enough to work in many different sizes and proportions, as well as media types, for all the demands of the upcoming season’s promotional cycle.
City of Phoenix Water Services
Job Recruitment Campaign
The City of Phoenix Water Services Department needed to launch a targeted recruitment marketing campaign to promote job opportunities, as well as increase successful hiring. The exceptional benefits of working for the City were also not clearly communicated and the process for applying needed to be simplified to create a clear path for candidates to apply for jobs through the City of Phoenix job portal system.
ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society
Marketing and Communications Brochure
ASU launched a revolutionary school and institute charged with building the infrastructure required to imagine and realize our common future. We were brought on board to help conceptualize the idea of 'Innovation in Society' and develop their initial communication materials. By using metaphorical images with figures looking toward the future, we suggested that human lives, identities, communities and institutions are intertwined with technologies that reside at the core of intellectual and educational ambition.
Esser Design
Annual New Year Self Promotion
For many years, we have used the turning of the new year as a way to show client appreciation through clever giveaway items. We carefully select products that are produced or sold locally, then wrap a positive message around a memorably-designed package. If you'd like to receive one, just give us a call and put us to work on your next marketing promotion!
ASU Gammage
Website with Ticketing System Integration
A fully responsive Drupal website was created for ASU Gammage. While adhering to ASU web standards, a “sales first” approach was incorporated to achieve their primary goal of increasing subscriptions and ticket purchases. We seamlessly integrated their ticketing system and successfully provided additional information about the facility, educational opportunities and the cultivation of donors.
Coconino County Fair
Brand Identity & Marketing Materials
We partnered with the Coconino County Parks and Recreation Marketing Team to rebrand the Coconino County Fair. The challenge was to establish a new logo, typeface, and color palette. During the project, we developed a clever visual solution, featuring the combination of fair tent tops that form the shape of the iconic San Francisco Peaks.
Developed annually were conceptually-driven campaign themes to promote new fair events. The creative showcased a variety of livestock-based imagery focused on reinforcing the “Free Range Fun” theme in year one. In year two, the theme "Handmade Good Times" promoted all new handmade items and popular competitions events.
Traversant Group
Brand Identity & Website
The name for this new company, Traversant Group, was developed as part of the Brand Identity project and was designed to allow for their future growth and increased differentiation of services. We created a full business system suite—business cards, letterhead and notecards—utilizing updated colors and fonts.
We also designed and developed a new responsive website that incorporates movement and an experiential approach, with internal pages delivering content about their history, team and expertise.
Arizona Office of Tourism
Industry Figures Report & Impact Report
The Arizona Office of Tourism was making a big announcement. Through a brochure that featured captivating images of the Arizona landscape, we creatively presented the latest travel and tourism industry statistics to the state’s audiences. Titled “A State of Destination,” the industry figures report powerfully communicated all the numbers, infographics and charts related to the economic growth happening in The Grand Canyon State in an easy-to-understand way.
An enhanced digital and mobile-friendly version of this information was also created in Arizona's Impact Report. This helped inform industry constituents of their department’s success metrics and results on a quarterly basis. AOT has the ability to update the data as needed, with the graphics dynamically updating as well. Animated effects were implemented, engaging the reader and improving the user experience.
Hospice of the Valley
Brand Identity & Graphic Standards
Since 1977, Hospice of the Valley’s mission has remained constant: “to bring comfort and dignity as life nears its end.” When board leadership reached out to us to update their brand identity and refresh their communications materials, we were delighted to partner with them again. We had created the original Hospice identity, designed to represent this truly unique, caring and spiritual organization, and the hand and bird play on visuals has become a timeless and universal symbol for them.
ASU Greek Village
Marketing Brochure & Interactive Website
To promote the building of ASU's new Greek Leadership Village, a marketing brochure and interactive website were developed to present this unique living, community and gathering space to key stakeholders. The Leadership Village provides a central gathering space to support chapter programs and initiatives, while strengthening the sense of community among the fraternities and sororities of ASU.
UA School of Art
School of Art Website
The University of Arizona College of Fine Arts offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through the School of Art, School of Dance, Fred Fox School of Music, and School of Theatre, Film, and Television. Their mission and vision center around what it means to “Live in the Arts.” The College was looking to update its web presence across all schools, to present a common user experience while complying with new University standards and utilizing modern technology and design trends. The key stakeholders were looking for a design that would unify the sites while representing the uniqueness of each school.
UA School of Theatre, Film and Television
School of Theatre, Film and Television Website
The School of Theatre, Film and Television website was one of the five sites developed during the 4-year-long website redesign project with The University of Arizona College of Fine Arts. The concept for the large header image area was to display both performances and behind-the-scenes images to accurately portray what it means to "Live in the Arts" at the UA.
UA Arizona Repertory Theatre
Repertory Theatre Website
Arizona Repertory Theatre (ART) is the professional training company for the UA College of Fine Arts, School of Theatre, Film and Television. Students in both acting/musical theatre and design/technology degree programs participate in live productions of various plays and musicals throughout the school-year season. ART was in need of an exciting and modern website—separate from the School of Theatre, Film and Television—in order to sell tickets, promote who ART is and what they do, as well as feature their Showcase of Talent. Clean navigation, streamlined content organization and ease of use were crucial to driving users to buy tickets.
LGE Design Build
Marketing Brochure & Website
LGE Design Build is a premier design-build construction firm with an industry-leading reputation built on 26 years of experience. We partnered with them on a brand refresh to update its overall look and feel across several media channels. This included their business system, print materials, website, as well as a new advertising campaign. The updated brand campaign elevated its image and created an impact through its consistent use.
Jokake Construction
Website
Jokake Construction was looking to enhance their online brand presence and showcase their impressive project portfolio with a visually dynamic, interactive user interface. In addition, they needed a site that was easy and quick to update in order to keep content fresh and streamline the website management process internally.
Arizona Board of Regents
Achieve60AZ Campaign
The Arizona Board of Regents tasked us with creating a memorable name and identity for the Achieve60AZ campaign. The tagline ‘Education Advances Everyone’ was created to work alongside a bold graphic identity based on the Arizona state flag color palette.
A custom website was developed to build awareness, establish positioning with key stakeholders and track results for this Arizona-based education attainment program.
DMB
Brand Positioning Print Brochures
DMB—a real estate development company headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ—created sustainable high-quality residential, commercial and mixed-use communities and was looking to update its branding program and solidify its brand standards. In addition, it was looking to provide targeted marketing and advertising to support its economic development and business attraction initiatives, while showcasing the best attributes of Arizona communities in which it lives.
Arizona Theatre Company
50th Anniversary Show Art & Print Collateral
To celebrate ATC’s 50th Anniversary, we developed a unique look and feel for the Season Brochure. The cover design, as well as imagery and content within, reflected on the success of the last 50 years while looking forward to the next 50. The brochure delivered important information to patrons about each show—schedules, venues, subscriptions and ticket prices—as well details about as ATC’s education endeavors and how patrons can support the organization beyond purchasing tickets.
Conceptualizing and executing each show art poster is a very collaborative process directed by our team along with the Theatre’s Artistic and Marketing Directors. Several conceptual sketches are presented, each with a different approach centering on a particular illustrator’s style that best captures the essence of the particular play. Once a direction is selected, the design team works directly with the selected illustrators to complete the final poster art. These final designs for each show art expression must be flexible enough to work in many different sizes and proportions, as well as media types, for all the demands of the upcoming season’s promotional cycle.
DMB Eastmark
AwesomeFest Event Marketing
Eastmark is a large-scale housing community developed by DMB, located in east Mesa. The Eastmark AwesomeFest was conceived by Eastmark staff for the residents, surrounding community members and the general public to be a “celebration of all things awesome” with entertainment centered around innovation, imagination, wow-moments and fun. The inaugural one-night-only event needed an identity—as well as a full suite of marketing materials—to publicize and advertise the event.
Each subsequent year, AwesomeFest was given a fresh visual identity and theme with the ultimate goal of showcasing what life is like at Eastmark and inspiring more home purchases.
ASU Herberger Young Scholars Academy
Website
The new, responsive website incorporated ASU web standards while representing the uniqueness of the academy. The site was designed with a mobile-friendly approach and dynamic content, such as a Pinterest-like photo gallery and event calendar, kept the website fresh and updated for repeat visitors.
City of Phoenix Water Services
Phoenix Water Smart Campaign
We were asked by the City of Phoenix Water Services Department to create a new bilingual campaign about water and how we use it. This new Phoenix Water Smart campaign branding was applied to a variety of marketing materials, including a brochure that featured original imagery of department staff and City residents. This culturally-diverse imagery gave the piece a sense of authenticity and allowed us to tell the story of the Department through its people. The brochure also included infographics that communicated stats and facts clearly and quickly to readers.
A smaller version of the campaign brochure was created that featured educational and informational content to drive the reader to further engage with the City on water conservation.
We translated the campaign theme to reach the Spanish Community, converting our theme to “Phx Cuida El Agua” which means “Phx takes care of water.” Brochures and info sheets were created in both English and Spanish to promote the City’s readiness and resources surrounding water conservation, as well as responsible water use for both businesses and residents.
Arizona Board of Regents
Responsive Website
The Arizona Board of Regents engaged us to develop a new responsive website that featured a design and platform update to improve the experience for both front-end and admin users. This responsive site is accessible for use on all devices and, even at the smallest size, the user interface was clean and easy to use.
Town of Queen Creek
Brand Standards Manual
A range of print, digital and environmental signage were developed for the Town of Queen Creek, and all were created within their established brand guidelines while communicating information specific to each piece. The bold use of imagery and typography, as well as a consistent color palette, make these materials instantly recognizable as the Town's brand.
ASU Enterprise Marketing
Digital Brand Standards Portal
We collaborated with the ASU Marketing HUB to refresh the brand and identity standards, which included a holistic review of all brand assets and expressions. All identity assets were organized into a user-friendly interface to provide usage guidelines and downloadable files for the ASU brand enterprise. We were selected to design and produce the original brand identity and have been asked to consult on various updates to the brand identity and its standards as the brand positioning has evolved through the years.
Palomar Health
Digital Donor Recognition Display
The Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, CA commissioned us to design a 12-screen free-floating donor wall surrounding the viewer with imagery and messaging. The narrow bezel screens provided a seamless viewing experience of the static content, dynamic donor stories and video content.
City of Goodyear
Municipal Brand Update & Graphic Standards Program
This identity update and graphic standards manual were developed to explain the approved usage of the city of Goodyear's updated municipal brand. All brand updates were illustrated to perform and reproduce in a larger variety of digital and print environments. The Standards included a cohesive graphic program that included the Police and Fire Department's brands in a modern cohesive system.
Arizona Theatre Company
Brand Identity & Launch Materials
The existing Arizona Theatre Company branding had been in existence for over 10 years and needed to be updated to better represent this dynamic and growing organization. A series of stakeholder surveys, meetings and strategy sessions were conducted to successfully position the brand for future success. The result was a bold, modern and relatable brand, and a new brand positioning line—“the art of live”—was applied to theatre communications and all marketing in order to promote the upcoming Season.
A series of custom illustrations were concepted and then commissioned from nationally recognized artists to promote this season of shows. Conceptual illustration, along with a stylized title treatment, are representative of the overall tone, theme and plot for each show. These final designs for each show art expression must be flexible enough to work in many different sizes and proportions, as well as media types, for all the demands of the upcoming season’s promotional cycle.
UA College of Fine Arts
Website
The University of Arizona College of Fine Arts was looking to update its web presence across all five of their schools, to present a common user experience while complying with new University standards and utilizing modern technology and design trends. The key stakeholders were looking for a design that would unify the sites while representing the uniqueness of each school.
The first site to be redesigned was for the College itself. We developed a new tagline, “Live in the Arts,” as well as a navigation structure that would apply to the future School sites.
UA College of Law
College of Law Website
The University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law was looking to update not only the platform on which their website was developed, but the overall look and feel, user experience and content strategy. We successfully completed this extensive overhaul of their online presence to better serve their various audiences, both internally and externally.
Harkins Theatres
Annual Loyalty Campaign
Harkins’ customers, including families and avid moviegoers alike, look forward to the annual Loyalty Program that gives added value to its patron's concession purchases. The theme is unique each year and is applied to merchandise, cups, gift cards, gift tins and gift packages, as well as signage at the concession stands and inside the theatres.
Paradise Valley Unified School District
School Level Brand Identity
We partnered with the Paradise Valley Unified School District on a district-wide rebranding effort for not only the district itself, but the schools as well. The goal was to successfully communicate the key offerings and advantages of the district and its schools versus other districts and charter and private schools to increase enrollment.
In addition to creating the district-level branding, new color palettes, monograms and mascots were created for each of the schools. A clean illustration style was utilized to create a family of mascots that would represent the schools in a unified way. A business system—letterhead, envelope and business card—was also designed for each of the schools.
Swim Neptune
Website
One of Arizona’s largest swim clubs was looking to create a recruiting and marketing website to complement their existing site. Strong imagery against a dark background, parallax scrolling and stylized typography were used to highlight Swim Neptune’s energetic and athletic brand.
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Business System & Brand Standards Manual
We partnered with the Paradise Valley Unified School District on a district-wide rebranding effort for not only the district itself, but the schools as well. The goal was to successfully communicate the key offerings and advantages of the district and its schools versus other districts and charter and private schools to increase enrollment. A new logo, tagline, color palette, and font package were developed to drive the rebrand at the district level.
A business system—letterhead, envelope and business card—was designed using the newly developed PVUSD branding. A Brand Identity Standards manual was also created to guide the Marketing Department on usage and application of the new branding.
Citrine Capital Partners
Brand Identity, Print Collateral & Web Design
Esser Design was tasked with developing a new brand identity and positioning for this multifaceted private equity firm. The name Citrine was chosen for its dynamic color and multifaceted appearance related to the Firm's range of services. The tagline “Enhancing every facet of business” was developed along with the new brand and applied to all print and digital marketing materials. The unique new brand positioning helped reinforce the Firm's balanced, holistic approach and highlighted its record of creating value and taking companies to the next level, locally and internationally.
DMB
Business Attraction Brochures
DMB—a real estate development company headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ—created sustainable high-quality residential, commercial and mixed-use communities. This series of development brochures themed "A Passion for Great Places" was designed to cultivate commercial relocation specialists and highlight the amenities of the State and promote its climate – not just for leisure, but for business, as well. The design is engaging through its use of vibrant photography and bold infographics.
Carrington College
Student Recruitment Campaign
We were engaged by Carrington College to develop a new recruitment campaign. The authentic photography showcasing students both in the classroom and "soaring," provided the necessary energy and inspiration to launch the campaign. The memorable visual execution was designed to metaphorically show that prospective students would "take off and soar."
A comprehensive brand overview and design guidelines manual was also created to communicate to all their vendors the usage guidelines of the updated logos, mascots, colors, fonts and other graphic treatments.
HonorHealth Healthcare Osborn
Digital Donor Recognition Display
Esser Design worked with HonorHealth Foundation and the hospital facilities team at the Osborn campus to design and install an interactive donor recognition display. Through the use of touchscreen technology and sound, the Foundation's mission and vision was also expressed.
Banner Cardon Children’s Hospital
Digital Donor Recognition Display
Banner Cardon Children's Hospital was the third Banner hospital to install the networked, customized dynamic display to highlight donor giving. The cabinetry and signage design was inspired by the child-friendly interior design of the lobby area that featured a country town and neighborhood.
City of Peoria
Brand Identity Update & Standards Manual
The City of Peoria was looking to develop a comprehensive graphic standards manual in order to create consistency of their brand usage among their various City departments. We reviewed their current logo treatment and refined the seal by standardizing the font, colors and graphics applied in the seal. A color system was implemented for each department to create a customized and flexible approach tailored to the unique needs of their individual programs.
Pine Canyon
Print Ad Campaign & Marketing Collateral
Pine Canyon's old identity was re-executed and refined to better match their brand positioning. A new tagline was created to speak to the development's unique attributes of high-end meets down-to-earth.
This updated brand appeared on all marketing collateral and print ads. The ads were placed regionally in upscale lifestyle, travel and golf publications, and focused on lifestyle, real estate and golf amenities.
The Club's annual fall member calendar creatively presented activities and highlights for the upcoming year and a clever cork pulling invitation was created for the annual wine festival held at the property.
Town of Queen Creek
Economic Development Materials
Queen Creek is a rapidly growing community southeast of the Phoenix Metropolitan area. The town has a deep, rich history in agriculture, equestrian culture and southwestern living but rapid growth has resulted in a changing demographic. The challenge presented to Esser Design was to create compelling marketing campaigns for The Town of Queen Creek that would appeal to the new, broad base of residents but still stay true to the established Queen Creek brand. A secondary goal was to encourage “staying in Queen Creek” for activities, restaurants and events rather than traveling to the surrounding, larger cities.
Flinn Foundation
Annual Scholarship Campaign
To promote the Flinn Foundation’s in-state scholarship program, Flinn Scholars, a brochure was created to explore the idea of reaching your potential through higher education. With multiple audiences—students, parents and counselors—the brochure had a youthful feel, yet also appealed to adults who influenced decisions about college. All photography was shot on location and featured current Flinn Scholars.
St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation
Digital Donor Recognition Display
An eleven-screen LCD installation, utilizing video and motion graphics, was developed for St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation. The display showcases the names of donors and board members, as well as branded messages, hospital history and upcoming special event information.
Healthology
Coordinated School Health Campaign
We partnered with the Arizona Department of Education to brand and launch a statewide Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP). A new name, identity, vibrant color palette and corresponding fonts all contributed to effectively communicating who the CSHP is and what services and benefits they provide.
Arizona Department of Agriculture
Stories of Success Book
This commemorative book recognizes highlights from each county that were a direct result of the Livestock and Crop Conservation Grant Program. Combining personal accounts with breathtaking on-site photography, the book is a showpiece for the State, ranchers and farmers.
Sun Health
Brand Standards Manual
A comprehensive standards manual was created to provide an easy-to-use reference for Sun Health staff and strategic partners, ensuring consistent use of the new identity program. Coordinated print and electronic templates and an expanded business system were also updated.
Flinn Foundation
Annual Report Series
To visually convey the concept of filling a niche, this annual report removed sections from photographic images, showing how pieces come together to complete a whole. A bright, bold color palette and dynamic use of photography created a contemporary, progressive feeling.
In the two following Annual report themes, visual metaphors were used to carry a simple but compelling message speaking to "Transitions" and "Taking the Next Step" as the Foundation's directive evolved and expanded.
Maricopa Community Colleges
Donor Recognition Display
This installation featured one touch-screen monitor displaying dynamic content, donor names, student success stories and special events. We used compelling content modules to provide the client the ability to create new templates and messages through web-based access.
ASU Enterprise Marketing
Brand Identity Launch Materials
The initial launch of the new ASU brand identity included promotional materials that helped convey the essence of the new symbol representing the University as a source of enlightenment for the community. The first Standards and Guidelines were created in 1995 in print. Ultimately, all brand standards are now available online and periodically updated as the University brand continues to evolve. We have been involved in many of these updates and continue to collaborate with the ASU Marketing HUB on a regular basis.
Phoenix Children’s Hospital
Digital Donor Recognition Display
This freestanding customized kiosk is located in the main lobby of Phoenix Children's Hospital. Here, patients, visitors and staff members are able to self-navigate via interactive touch-screen technology. The installation integrated a user-friendly remote content management system for regular updates.
Swedish American Hospital
Interactive Touch Screen Interface
This 6-foot-wide by 11-foot-tall glass wall provided the surface and scale for a life-sized touch interface. The interactive presentation promoted heart-healthy lifestyle choices as well as information about how your heart works. The type of camera technology that was selected for this installation was based upon the amount of ambient light and the changes in lighting from day to night conditions. Each section was color-coded for usability and touch-sensitive areas were large enough to ensure ease of use for those “less precise” with their touches.
Jokake Construction
Sales Brochure
Jokake Construction is a regional, full-service commercial general contractor that provides ground-up construction, renovations and building tenant improvement services. This sales brochure was designed to showcase their impressive project portfolio and in-house services from concept, construction and interior design, to completion.
Tempe Center for the Arts
Grand Opening Promotion
For the launch of the new Tempe Center for the Arts, we worked closely with their marketing team to develop a theme line and a series of custom graphic illustrations that were used on print materials, posters, as well as entry banners at the Center. The use of various art objects created whimsical characters that invited the viewer to “be part of the scene.”
Paradise Valley Community College
Annual Report
This year-end report was created to inform students, faculty, staff and the general community of achievements made at Paradise Valley Community College. A vibrant color palette, bold typography and large images made for an accessible, entertaining read.
UA BIO5 Institute
Branding & Marketing Campaign
The Bio5 Institute is a collaborative bioresearch institute that positions the University of Arizona on the leading edge of 21st-century biological research. Esser Design assisted the Institute’s communications and marketing team with the development of a branding and marketing campaign of integrated messaging and tools. We developed the initial branding elements for the Bio5 logo and positioning statement, “advancing science. for life.”, in order to start building recognition for the Institute and defining its value—both internally at the university and externally among the community and key research collaborators and partners.
We created an overview brochure on the Thomas W. Keating Bioscience Research Building’s art collection, as well as the Dedication Celebration materials for The College of Medicine Medical Research Building, as well as an historical overview custom pocket folder, and additional pieces focusing on Workforce Development, Industry Partnerships and Research focus areas.
SunCor
Annual Reports
This custom presentation was designed to house the branded company overview with project page inserts highlighting residential, commercial and golf properties. A pocket in the back of the portfolio allowed their annual financial overview to be included.
The theme “Live, Work, Play” highlighted SunCor’s three product categories: residential, commercial and golf development. Original photography brought the concept to life.
Vizsla Club of America
Nationals Competition Event Materials
Our work for the Vizsla Club of America—the national organization promoting the breed—came out of a personal passion for our two Vizslas, Heywood and Hunter, as well as our volunteer work with the Rio Salado Vizsla Club.
The branding campaign for the Nationals Competition focused around the versatile nature of the breed. This gave us the ability to create a family of marks and illustrations to be used in a variety of promotional materials and merchandise. The event tallied record merchandise sales due to the popularity of the artwork and the merchandise selection. We were happy to lend our expertise and build awareness for this amazing breed while raising funds for Vizsla rescue efforts across the country.
Pearson
Marketing Materials
This modular sales kit was designed to provide an overview of each of the Pearson products as they relate to student information, assessment, reporting and business software solutions. A uniquely-designed sleeve allowed customization of product inserts specific to a client’s interests.
Mesa Arts Center
Business System
We created a coordinated print and electronic marketing communications campaign to launch the new Mesa Arts Center to both internal and external audiences. A comprehensive brand standards manual was created to ensure consistent use of the new graphic identity program.
La Casa Blanca
Brand Identity & Signage
Taking inspiration from the Adobe-style architecture and central Mexico stained glass detailing, we were able to create a memorable brand for this family-owned Mexican restaurant. We cohesively applied the new brand across all restaurant marketing from the business system and menus to entry signage.
ISEC Construction
Brand Identity & Sales Collateral
We designed and developed this comprehensive business system to accommodate the company’s various divisions. The sales tool kit provided a flexible and coordinated system for creating sales proposals for new business development. The Brand Identity was created with color-coded variations that represented the company's distinctive areas of expertise within its 4 divisions.
Logo Wall
