DEQ
branding, Business documents, promotional collateral, Web Redesign, Messaging
deq.mt.gov
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) needed to rebrand the state’s leading environmental protection agency and make its website more compelling, accessible, and user-friendly.
Logo development:
DEQ’s existing logo had been designed twelve years ago and needed a refresh. The goal was to provide DEQ with a logo that is modern and clean, without becoming too ‘corporate’ as the agency’s focus is on public service.
We worked closely with DEQ team members to develop a new logo that conveys the agency’s mission of protecting air and water resources, and the integrity of the organization with bold colors and typography that translate well to print and digital marketing collateral. The result is a strong, successful solution that will serve DEQ well for years to come.
Business documents, promotional collateral, and brand identity guide:
We applied the new DEQ logo and typography to business card design that maintains clean, modern lines while providing the often lengthy title and contact information required for DEQ team members. We have also developed social media avatars (logos customized for each platform), a branded email template, a PowerPoint presentation template, and agency stationary (letterhead and envelopes) that reflect the brand identity along with compelling secondary imagery and color palettes.
In order to make future in-house branding efforts as seamless as possible for DEQ staff, we are developing a comprehensive brand identity guide that provides clear guidelines for how to apply specific logos and other images files to various promotional collateral. The brand identity guide will also include key stylistic recommendations (such as a detailed photography style guide), and mock-ups for team apparel and promotional items.
Website Redesign:
At the beginning of our engagement with DEQ, the existing website housed over 20,000 pages of content - proving to be quite the organizational challenge for agency staff, and an information accessibility dilemma for the general public. In order to make the site more user-friendly all around, we proposed adding an ‘intuitive bridge’ layer to the site - essentially a home page that serves as a portal to key information areas. Using the Urchin analytics information provided by DEQ’s ITSD team, we defined five primary content areas (air, water, land, business, and citizen engagement), and developed a site map and wireframe with information architecture that prioritized making the most sought-after information easiest to find.
After the site map and wireframe were approved, we developed style sheets for a new home page, and introductory pages for each of the primary content sections. The new design focuses on highly compelling imagery, a clean layout, and greatly improved user experience (UX). All pages used responsive design to ensure they would translate well to mobile devices.
In order to ensure the designs would integrate well with DEQ’s proprietary content management system (Sharp Content), we developed a functional mock-up that allowed DEQ leadership to see exactly how the design would operate in the web environment. This extra step is helping ensure a more efficient, seamless transition from a design file to a live site.
Message Development/Website Copy:
We developed concise copy (text) for each website primary content area that clearly communicates DEQ’s goals of serving the public while protecting a clean and healthful environment. Message development focused on the myriad programs and citizen engagement opportunities DEQ offers that protect our quality of life.
