Smith + Connors

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our organization is Hearken. I was the co-founder and, up until recently, the CEO. Now, I’m the SVP of global partnership. Under the SVP position, I work on branding and how we show up in the world. 

Hearkin is a consulting and technology company that enables more participation with whoever our clients’ stakeholders are. We’re a B2B2C business that works with different industries, such as civic organizations, journalism outlets, and higher education institutions. 

We essentially help institutions that are at a further distance than they’d like to be from the people they serve. We help them create processes and operationalize better communication with the people they serve. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Smith + Connors?

We’re a startup and still fairly new — we’re about five years old. Over the years, we had many different looks as we grew as a company. We also merged with another company, and we wanted to figure out how we could realign our brand, look, feel, messaging, and mission statement. 

We’re just a small company with a small budget to have a design team on staff or have retainers on graphic design and branding. As a result, we were also conscious of getting the “ingredients” of branding and receiving guidance on its do’s and don'ts to evolve the brand without asking Smith + Connors to do everything.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their work was mainly a branding project, and they did a lot of different work for us. Smith + Connors also designed new templates for our sales, such as proposal templates, as well as deliverables for a final report that we send to our clients. 

The team also created collaterals, such as greeting cards, buttons, and business cards, as well as useful elements for iconography that we could design and work with by ourselves. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with around four people but interfaced with three people for the most part. We worked with a project manager and Talie (Creative Director & Partner), who worked as a senior strategist. We also worked with Rebecca (Technology Director), who was the designer. 

Those were the three we mostly interfaced with. They’re a collaborative company, so they’d take ideas to the rest of their group. 

How did you come to work with Smith + Connors?

I was introduced to Smith + Connors through another organization that I’m part of. The executive director had known about and worked with Smith + Connors at some point. She was also a startup founder and found that the team was great to work with. 

Their team did all the branding and collateral for this convention we had in 2017, and they knocked it out of the park from the logo and the IDs to the notebooks and bags. They were phenomenal, so I chalked it in the back of my brain. 

When we could afford to hire an organization to do a branding refresh for my company, Smith + Connors was the obvious choice. They were so fantastic. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere in the ballpark of $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June–September 2020. 

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

It’s been really fun. People loved working with the templates they created. My colleagues said that it was so easy, and every idea they put looked much more professional because the templates were well-designed. 

Then, we’ve had clients do repeat engagements with us and ask whether we could give them reports like the one we did last time. That wasn’t only because of the information we provided; it was also because of the layout, charts, and designs — it wasn’t a boring white paper. The reports were lovely and good to interact with in terms of information intake. 

Other people with whom we’ve shared some of the deck asked us about our designers. I’ve sent a few people to Smith + Connors’ way because they were really in love with the vibe of what the team created.  

Smith + Connors really helped us from a foundational level and not just in adjusting visuals. They started with the heart of what we do, and then everything flowed up from there. They gave us a great and strong foundation for thinking about who we were today. 

There’s really nothing on the branding, vision, mission, personality, and visual design front that I can’t trust them to take on. They’re great. 

How did Smith + Connors perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was great. Smith + Connors was always on it. We had weekly meetings, and they set up a Google site for us. Every week, they’d publish their latest updates and what they were working on next.

They’d then give us a real roadmap for the kind of feedback to give them, which was really useful. They’d tell us whenever we had feedback rounds and give us specific prompts, such as what we were looking for, what we were responding to, and what wasn’t working for us. It was less of telling them what we think and more of circling the elements we were responding to. 

They were also really helpful in giving us things we can use by ourselves. We benefited from the creativity and minds of additional people there, but we didn’t get overwhelmed by too many cooks in the kitchen. 

From a design perspective, they also taught us how to not start from scratch. They guided us to link together different elements from our branding and outward-facing personality into something that felt coherent and fresh. 

Everything was also editable and on Google Docs, which was really useful because we’re a global and distributed company. We are trying to get away from using Keynote and other tools so that everyone could have visibility and change things easily. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were expert listeners, and I felt they were an extension of our team. I didn’t have to constantly bring them back and tell them their output didn’t align with our brand. We accepted everything they sent us. 

I’m someone who comes from a visual design background. I haven’t pursued it for a long time, but I have a sensibility and opinions on things. I was just so impressed that I didn’t need to give them a ton of direction because they did such a good job listening every step of the way. 

The whole path was process-oriented. Their team did a ton of listening in their intake process. I remember asking them to send me a list of the questions they asked since we’d like to do the same intake process with our clients. Their questions ranged from the reason behind what we were doing to how we preferred to be contacted, and the platform we should be communicating on. 

Smith + Connors spent so much of the intake process listening and getting a sense of who we were and what we wanted to build instead of telling us what we needed to do. They were always catering to our tendencies and needs. It was a lovely process where they listened to us most of the time. 

Customers would hope that most design firms were this way, but many of those firms are more visual than verbal. They excel at visual communication, but they’re not great at the verbal side of things and articulating ideas with words. Smith + Connors can do both beautifully.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I just wish I had a bigger budget so I could pull Smith + Connors in for everything we ever do, but I know that’s not realistic. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Plan on spending a nice amount of time upfront and share thoughts, your plans, your strategies, and anything you’ve made before, so they can get a sense of where you’re coming from and where you want to go. That’ll give Smith + Connors the best chance of deeply understanding what you’re going for. 

You can’t expect them to breeze over your site and just give you a few examples. They really want to get your depth and foundational mission so that the team can align things with it. Everything has a reasoning behind it, too, and they’re not just picking the “in” or popular colors or shape — they’re not there to make you look like any other brand. They’re there to make you feel more like yourself. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the managing members for a boutique hotel in the Pacific Northwest.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smith + Connors?

At the time, we were launching our brand and we were trying to figure out what our brand voice was going to be. We brought in Smith + Connors to help us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us with naming, logo design, and branding. They led us through a variety of exercises to help understand what our brand would be saying to customers. 

What is the team composition? 

We worked with the two principals. 

How did you come to work with Smith + Connors?

I’ve known them through mutual connections, and I worked with them previously. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2013 – April 2014.

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

A lot of people have said that our branding is top-notch. They perfectly captured what we were doing as a company. We’ve received nothing but positive feedback on our brand voice. 

How did Smith + Connors perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated through email and over the phone. They led a very organized and professional process. They presented us with several options for branding and were receptive when we were unsure about what direction we wanted to go. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I felt really confident in the process because they listened to us and led us through the process seamlessly. They extracted the correct information from us and came up with a creative and concise way of presenting it. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. I feel like they did a really great job, and they delivered more than I expected. They were great communicators. Some of our partners were unsure during the process, but Smith + Connors was accomodating in giving them what they needed to feel confident in their decision. In the future, they could explain their process more thoroughly, especially when working with new clients. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Be communicative as a client and explain any concerns that you have. If you’re clear about your feelings, they’ll be able to respond. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Vice President of Communications, hired by Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) to reimagine the Foundation's brand and communications strategy. OCF is Oregon's largest statewide philanthropy - deploying more than $110M annually in charitable gifts to those in Oregon who need it most. Through research, grantmaking, programs, and advocacy we're helping to improve lives for all Oregonians.

For what projects/services did your company hire Smith + Connors?

Comprehensive brand strategy and implementation - from research, design, web UX, and customer experience implementation.

What were your goals for this project?

Reposition the foundation to be more relevant and accurately reflect our work.

How did you select Smith + Connors?

Referral from a trusted colleague.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Brand strategy, competitive landscape analysis, visual redesign/logo development, web dev/design/UX.

What was the team composition?

Smith + Connors' principals were all involved and embedded in my OCF team for a deep collaborative engagement.

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The rebrand came at a critical time for the foundation, as we were pivoting into a new strategic plan and re-organization - the brand update aided in one of our primary goals to increase awareness and inspire philanthropy throughout the state.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were essentially an extension of my team and we worked synergistically throughout the entire scope of work.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are terrific listeners, strategists, and technicians who are passionate about their work and our mission. It was a seamless, creative, and innovative project that delivered remarkable results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We had some initial production and process gaps, but they addressed them with new staff. Ad-hoc projects are a bit pricey, so we tend to use them primarily when we need 'big picture' and high design inputs.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work at a shoe retailer as a Learning and Development expert, responsible for designing and delivering training to our internal teams.

For what projects/services did your company hire Smith + Connors?

To create a series of e-learning courses compatible with our Word Press site.

What were your goals for this project?

Flexible e-learning modules and templates Seamless and delightful user experience Compatible with Word Press and Adobe Captivate

How did you select Smith + Connors?

They came highly recommended from another team that had used their services.

Describe the project in detail.

Smith and Connors created a branded LMS experience along with content and design for 30 microlearning courses.

What was the team composition?

1. Account Director
2. Creative Director
3. Strategy Director/Writer
4. Technology Director
5. Developer
6. Art Director
7. Producer
8. Designer
9. Motion Graphics Designer
10. Administration

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The LMS and courses were well received by our target audience. We were able to serve teams across different time zones by offering on-demand courses. The experience that Smith and Connors designed was not only delightful and engaging but highly effective.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Highly effective -- could not ask for a more responsive and collaborative team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Smith and Connors offer a seamless and excellent client experience for teams who need high-quality deliverables in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. Their agility and quality of work is outstanding.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None