Kleinschmidt
Kleinschmidt is a century-old company based in suburbs of Chicago that has historically found itself at the forefront of technological innovation. Losing face to bigger tech firms on the West Coast, One Design helped rebrand the organization to reframe its image in the eyes of young engineers. A new website and content strategy helped the company voice its perspective in a focused and meaningful manner, allowing it to compete with the competitive set.
The brand expression is a celebration of the unique quirks and charms of a tech company with roots that run over 100 years deep in the hardworking industrial midwest. It embraces midwest heritage and a hard-working ethic through typographic expression, while celebrating innovation through color palette, layout, and a unique illustration language.
A supporting geometric pattern is a direct (and functional) reference to Baudot code, a precursor to ASCII, that was crucial in Kleinschmidt’s history as a pioneer of teletype communication technology.
Separating Kleinschmidt from the Silicon Valley tech pack required embracing a visual voice completely unexpected in the space. It’s an unique company—a century of innovation nestled in the suburbs of a working class midwestern city. Ringside provides the perfect dash of heritage Americana to complement the more visually progressive color palette and illustration style that rounds out the visual expression.
