Featured Project: Ghafari

Creating a brand blueprint

Ghafari is an architecture and engineering firm that takes a personal approach to highly technical projects. After decades of success, they needed to reach new regions and grow their team but were facing tougher competition and a dwindling workforce. Ghafari worked with One Design to tackle these business goals and work towards broader company initiatives. Over the course of several months, we developed a brand strategy, created a new visual identity, and built a website - all rooted in the company’s history, culture, and vision.

Brand strategy

We led workshops with Ghafari’s leadership team, interviewed their clients and team members, and delved into competitive research. Based on this research, we created a brand positioning framework centered on Ghafari’s ability to truly understand their clients through and through. It balances the company’s empathy and energy—it’s drive to support and advance clients through high performing spaces. After solidifying this strategic direction, we made the brand actionable by creating a messaging architecture, tagline, and communication guidebook.

A new tagline captures the essence of the brand, while an elegant and robust visual language takes formal cues from the nuances of the Ghafari wordmark.

The visual language has been applied to a broad suite of material, including digital, print, and environmental applications.

Visual identity system

The new visual identity brings the strategy to life. It distinguishes evokes the strength and grace of Ghafari's work while distinguishing them from the competitive set. For the logo and color palette, we took inspiration from Ghafari’s graphic heritage but added a vibrancy and warmth. Throughout the design system, we use the G letterform from the logo as a grid, which led to dynamic page layouts in across the printed matter. The site marries each of the core identity elements into an engaging experience that clarifies Ghafari’s expertise, point of view, and accomplishments.

Comprehensive visual and editorial guidelines as well as with a robust series of flexible templates allow Ghafari’s internal team to confidently utilize the brand system moving forward.

One Design Company

One Design Company is a research-driven design and development studio. For over a decade, we’ve explored the intersection of experience and technology—where powerful brands come to life. Want to learn more? Let’s chat.