Nice Seattle Homes
A contemporary brand to fit an evolving city
Brand Identity
UI/Web
Cynthia Creasey and Mack McCoy are real-estate experts with more than 20 years of experience helping clients navigate the Puget Sound housing market. Their branding, however, felt as if it had 20 years of experience as well. (That’s usually not a good thing.)
Seattle has evolved significantly over those two decades: The tech industry has transformed the city, driving a wealth of new construction and making it one of the hottest markets in the country. Nice Seattle Homes needed a more contemporary, refined, relevant logo design.
Bold and bright—yet refined and professional
Mack and Cynthia sought a brand identity that reflects their unique personalities while still resonating with potential clients. Both agreed that bright colors would be appropriate: Mack is very high-energy and enthusiastic, and often wears bold, visually interesting shirts. Meanwhile, Cynthia specializes in garden homes, which are bright and colorful in their own right.
At the same time, it was important not to go over the top. Mack and Cynthia are fun to work with, but we didn’t want to overshadow their deep knowledge of real-estate markets and strategies with too much playfulness.
A field crowded with clichés
After meeting with Cynthia and Mack, we began our competitor research. First, we focused on regional real-estate agents. Then we turned our attention to those who also serve international audiences because Mack often works with clients who have arrived from other countries, and it was necessary for the branding to work on an international level as well.
We found that many agents in the Pacific Northwest (maybe even most) incorporate trees and illustrations of houses into their branding, along with shades of blue and green. The Space Needle often gets thrown in, too. As a Seattle creative agency, we see a lot of this, and we wanted to avoid these clichés. The few logos that stood out to us primarily utilized typography or more abstract visual elements.
That’s where we began our sketching.
A brand that reflects both the business and its owners? Nice.
Our final branding for Mack and Cynthia combined a clean, stylish wordmark with an abstract element that can be seen in multiple ways. It represents an “N” for “Nice Seattle Homes,” but the shape also brings to mind the modern homes dotting the area’s landscape today—or even a modified leaf, a nod to Cynthia’s emphasis on garden homes.
For the finishing touch, we selected a bright (but not loud) color palette, resulting in a brand that represents not only Nice Seattle Homes, but Cynthia and Mack themselves: modern and refined, but also vibrant and unique.
‘Chalkbox Creative heard our voice’
“After more than 20 years in business, our image and marketing materials definitely needed a refresh. Chalkbox Creative heard our voice and designed a modern and personalized identity for us. There is nobody I would trust more with my branding and marketing.”
Mack McCoy, Nice Seattle Homes
Has your business evolved?
Businesses change over time, and so do their branding needs. Reaching the right audience requires an identity that accurately reflects your mission, your promise, your story. Is your brand in alignment with what your business has become? We can help you understand where you are today—and where you need to be. Get in touch today to learn more.
