Permit Place

Permit Place had a couple of challenges for us. For one, they knew their current brand was not aligning with their promise. It was old, fragmented, and unfocused. The challenge was that they did not understand what needed to be fixed. The other challenge was that Permit Place was a well-established company and had brand debt and felt apprehensive about making significant changes. So, we needed to come up with a strategy to get buy-in along with figuring out what aspects Permit Place could be best served with design.

We started by developing a brand strategy. We asked a lot of questions and uncovered what Permit Place’s core principles and promise were. We sent out a survey to understand what Permit Place’s employees thought of the company and what the company stood for. We found a common thread of ‘education’ and ‘educating clients.’ Part of the strategy was to position Permit Place as the Nerdy Wizard in their industry. Permit Place truly loved the permitting process, and they were the best at getting you a permit and educating you on the process along the way. We encouraged them to post more truly useful content and not be afraid to share more about each team member and their approach to permitting. The strategy we developed led us to create a brand identity that utilized a mascot. An owl was designed to be the logo. Owls are always regarded as wise. Our owl was in motion, which resembled a ‘P’ to show that Permit Place was quick and agile in getting your permit complete and your business to be public.

We developed a brand strategy complete with core principles, voice, archetype, audience, and more. We then designed a logo and visual identity that included a color palette, typography, patterns, and a supporting ‘Stacked Hearts’ graphic that encapsulates their promise. We then tied all of the deliverables together into a mega Brand Style guide accessible anytime by anyone on the Permit Place team. What a win for them.

Fun Facts: Macklin Sans Logotype, Style guide, Cheeky Owl Mascot