Strategic Graphic Design Leads to Stable Branding

Close Converse started providing commercial real estate services throughout Central and North-Central Minnesota in 1995—it was time to modernize their brand. With Strateligent’s help, they recently relaunched their brand with a new logo, fresh signage, and a revamped web design.

More than a logo design.

Our creative process involves our clients, their stakeholders, and the Strateligent creative team working together to create communication that serves a purpose. We don’t just brainstorm graphic design ideas; we create a blueprint for brand strategy that delivers results.

Close Converse knew what they wanted—a logo that was recognizable and professionally modern. We knew they needed more than just that to effectively market themselves in such a large market. Together, we made it happen. At the end of the day, we came away with a new logo design, strict guidelines for fonts and colors, and a plan to create consistency across all platforms, from print to digital.

Signage that breaks through the clutter.

If you’ve driven anywhere in Central Minnesota, you’ve probably seen a Close Converse “For Sale”, “For Lease”, or “Sold” sign on a piece of commercial property. The old signs were wordy, cluttered, and outdated. The new signs are simple but powerful—fewer words, fewer colors, more whitespace—and include the new easy-to-spot logo that you’ll notice while driving 70 miles per hour down the highway.

“Whitespace can be an advantage with larger pieces. Your eye is drawn to the negative space, so it really catches attention,” said Emalee Hedberg, graphic designer at Strateligent. “In this case, it really sets them apart from other signs that just seem to be cluttered with no clear design flow.”

A facelift for the website.

While the new signage was going up, the web design was underway. Strateligent collaborated closely with Close Converse’s web developer to completely overhaul the website’s look and feel and bring new functionality for a better user experience.

We started by digging into the data. Google Analytics gave us insight into what people cared about—which pages were getting the most traffic? Then we picked our client’s brains—what did they want to make sure their site visitors knew? We reordered content and simplified page navigation, making it faster and easier for people to get to the information they want.

A big part of the new web design was streamlining the site’s property search. Working with the client’s web developer, we customized the site’s WordPress theme to create a comprehensive search. Users can now easily find properties based on what’s important to them: MLS, type, minimum or maximum price, location and more. The update also included a new, interactive map with property icons so users can identify property types by location at a glance. The map shows all current listings, so it’s easy to pinpoint specific property—for example, retail space—and drill down to specific information, photos, maps, and property brochures. See for yourself: closeconverse.com

Anyone with a computer can create a logo design. Strateligent collaborates with our clients to create a full-package brand that brings graphic design consistency, stability, and results across all communication platforms.