Pinch. A design office.

From inception through a growth curve to its present emerging status, Fios' business has been aiding legal firms and corporations with electronic evidence discovery – finding and presenting computerized documents for lawsuit defense or regulatory compliance.

Fios' attitude is "The way you do business should be the way you prepare for legal challenge". Business practice today generates volumes of electronically stored info. Email messages, spreadsheets, reports and presentation files fly everywhere, the grist of modern management, churning ever faster as productivity ramps. These document repositories also represent a chronicle of any company's activity path. And when legal challenges arise, they can translate into evidence for investigations or at trial, for good or ill.

That's why companies proactively plan and track where their data is stored and how likely it is to become subject to discovery request. They demand greater process assurance about document flagging, storage and retrieval. They designate, ahead of need, where they might be vulnerable to discovery calls. And they seek experienced guidance as they proceed. From Fios.

Mark Reber, Fios director of marketing, went looking for design help in early 2006 when internal reviews revealed an aging brand image and disorganized system of support collateral and website design. Some pieces related to Fios' original status as a start-up company, some came later, few related.

"Our program needed an update," Reber says. "These days we try to be more intentional with our marketing and branding, so it was important for us to look closely at what our identity actually is in the customer's view, confirm the brand attributes Fios wants to project, and make sure company materials presenting it are consistent throughout – same messaging, visuals, color & style, type, and so forth."

That's when Reber called Pinch. "I'd known Eric Hillerns and Adam McIsaac for years, had worked with them a number of ways, was familiar with what they do. Given that, and our clear need to refresh our brand, I thought the fit was right. Pinch's background, experience in business-to-business, history in the healthcare technology arena, which is similar to law, all were applicable. I believed they owned the skill sets we needed."

Kate Kockler, who serves in the tradeshow side of Fios marketing, had a similar view. "The situation was this," she says. "It had been over three years since identity and design work had been addressed here, especially systematically, and our program had begun to morph into separate fiefs, none of which looked alike. We were doing things in-house, passing projects around to multiple hands; we were reactive; we were building way too many unrelated, inconsistent chunks. It was time to pull it all back together."

And, with Fios moving into leadership in their segment, both Kockler and Reber felt the company should look the part.

"We've always tried to differentiate ourselves," Kockler says. "For a while we went through a fun & friendly period, used a 'blender lamp' as a symbol, but our efforts were turning trite and tired and we needed a new direction. I went down to Pinch's office to meet the men. I walked in and was immediately impressed with their work. They had samples out for me to inspect – clean, simple, sophisticated, beautiful. It was a style I personally liked, but also was what we needed at Fios."

Fig. 1. Early projects. We took their existing identity and stripped it back to three elements: logo, sans-serif type, and PMS 1795 red.

Regardless of the good impressions, Pinch began with test projects. Only after success with these, when it became apparent something substantial was building, did broader, company-wide assignments come. And at that point, Pinch began to shine.

"Mark was the decision-maker on our behalf," Hillerns says, "but we made him antsy at first. It wasn't until we started collecting accolades that he relaxed. Bottom line is we've had to win Fios' work every step of the way. Even simple 2-side data sheets have been important."

Fig. 2. Four-page sector-specific capabilities sheet, showing simple icon-based approach to telling Fios' story.

Interestingly, brand language for Fios has been built this way, incrementally, from an amalgamation of smaller projects that have to stand on their own. It extends from brand history, too, and gleans bits of overarching design and attitudinal identity from past sequences of specifically-purposed jobs. As these bits coalesce and execution improves, the brand emerges. McIsaac calls it "backdoor branding."

Since Pinch is a design firm rather than a full-service agency, process on fios projects has involved company people. "With these guys, the client participates in management of the work," Reber says.

"Pinch fields no account managers, and regards company contacts as active players, a collaboration across job boundaries I personally like. For folks who want to roll up their sleeves and help with projects themselves, this is a fine approach."

Fig. 3. Detail view of 10 × 20' trade show booth prepared by Pinch for Fios' appearance at LegalTech 2006.

Kockler adds another angle. "Most of the things I do with Pinch are focused on tradeshow properties. First project was a redesign of our 10x10 booth, and even though it was early in our reconfiguration process, the look of that piece still pulled together what fios was and reduced it to a clear, efficient, understandable denominator. Very nice. And the new booth – a generation up from the 10x10 – is my baby, my favorite booth ever. I was floored by that property (and so were other people because they kept asking me who our design people were). The messaging is direct and crisp, and it looks more thoughtful and intentional than any of our competitors. It's one of the most spectacular exhibits I've seen, and I've been hanging around trade shows for years."

"Now you know why Kate's one of my favorite people," Hillerns grins.

"Design-wise, structure-wise," Kockler continues, "I can see Eric Hillerns' architecture background coming to fruit. Our CEO rode up the escalator at a show, saw it standing there, and fell in love. He could not believe how much it stood out. A total hit."

The booth even captured Fios' sales people, who usually are critical of marketing materials (they want more words, big logos with winking lights). They were knocked out. They felt their visibility and credibility rising at shows. They became proud of the thing. Competitors walked by, too, saying, "Yup, you did it this time." These companies typically have much larger presences, and for fios to shine like it did in relation to them was something special.

"You know," Kockler says, "Eric came out to the first show, was there with me at setup and for the day to gauge reaction. He saw all this happen; made him feel pretty good."

Since Pinch's arrival, Reber confirms that Fios has progressed toward its objectives of understanding its current market position and building a consistent body of marketing materials. "No question," he says.

But the effort hasn't been without nervous moments. "My predecessor was a person whose focus was getting things out quickly," Reber says, "and the organization came to expect that. I knew projects we'd do with Pinch would be different – more in alignment with our brand message and values, to be sure, but also more studied and intentional, more consciously consistent.

"Two expressions of results, our tradeshow assets and the new overview brochure, have been well received, but progress has not been automatic. When the show booth was run out for the first time at LegalTech, our biggest show, I worried how it'd be received, how the show crowd would react, what the feedback would be. Well, we got rave reviews, from our senior staff, from people on the floor, from competitors. Because we showed who we are.

"Even riskier was the overview brochure. We had to sell this. We were speaking in a different voice from before, our attributes were vigorously represented, and visually we separated ourselves from other, more predictable players. My sense is we had to, but we took a chance. Again, though, response comments I've heard so far have been strongly positive.

"Next steps for us will be applying this grown up brand image across everything."

Reber, Hillerns and McIsaac own the familiarity of long association, but that doesn't rule out the occasional surprise. "I've known both for years," Reber says. "There are no secrets between us. I will say though, that when we have a big hero project going, like the company overview piece, and we're pretty much resolved on the copy, we have an expectation of where the design will land."

And sometimes, those expectations get stretched. "We know we may have to say 'the font size on the cover isn't going to fly.' Or, 'when you turn the page, that 6-point type on the sidebar is just not big enough.' It's a balancing act, and it gets funny sometimes."

Reber hastens to note that when an issue is raised, though, Hillerns and McIsaac do more than just nod and make a quick change. "These guys listen, and then come up with another iteration that often is better than the first. They keep at it."

Fig. 4a. Cover and interior spread from overview brochure. The complete book can be seen here.

Fig. 4b. Detail of brochure cover, showing individual document icons.

In the case of the new overview brochure, for instance, Fios did voice concerns about type size and the need for more power on the cover. So Pinch introduced a cover pattern of small document icons, left the type pretty much the same, then highlighted some of the pattern graphics to create a large relief of the Fios name – similar to card-turners at a football game. "The changes added a completely different level and were a great solution," Reber says. "They were consistent with the visual vocabulary we're establishing, and created a more involving design."

"One thing I like about dealing with Pinch is the project work site they use," Reber says. "That's a useful tool for us because we can identify who sees what. And, since we're sort of do-it-yourself around here, it helps us remain connected and efficient. There are no unessential meetings, ever. And it's a really effective portal when multiple contractors and providers are involved."

Through the Web-based work site (powered by Chicago development house 37Signals' Basecamp), Pinch encourages clients to move away from email and make all postings on the center only. "It's consistent with our approach" Hillerns says, "because it allows us to operate with fewer people, involve the client in authorship decisions, and exercise economy on several fronts."

Kate Kockler goes a little further. "It's a bit organic with Pinch, and I like it," she says. "I come from an agency background where project development is often stunted by over-administration and too many meetings. This is different.

"At first I worried because I didn't see tight schedules and critical paths, but it's worked out because I bring that stuff when necessary and we can team closely. Pinch invites us to sit down and participate; we revise as much as we need; we truly collaborate. I like working that way – it's effective and satisfying for me.

"Plus the guys have design integrity. When they believe in an approach, they defend it. When they have to rethink, they make sure the new result still addresses the original goals. As a result, I trust them to guide us in the right way – with our collateral, with our tradeshow presence, with our whole program."

"Accommodation on a practical level, responding to internal realities and needs, is part of our approach," McIsaac says, "but we don't make anything just to satisfy. We also keep our eye on the sparrow in terms of the client's larger business goals, and make sure our activities connect with that more encompassing picture."

"Over time," Hillerns adds, "we come to understand which things are worth arguing about. If they aren't, we don't. When they are, we do, but our comments address the work and not the people across the table. We may differ on approach, but at the end of the day we're in this together and headed for the same end."

According to McIsaac, "The Fios relationship continues, things are convivial, we socialize with the folks. And, you know, that's a goal with all our client relationships – we want them to have a personal side. We don't exactly start out to be friends, but it is necessary we respect the people we're working with on a daily basis, and if that happens from both sides, it turns into friendship."

Pinch has also initiated a sustainability dialogue within Fios and moved all company print materials onto FSC-certified paper.

"There will forever be room for improvement, but we appreciate the sense of progress with Fios, how their language has developed, how the in-company people have become interested, how the culture of their marketing has evolved. The company is not the same; they've graduated, they know it, and they'll never go back to the way they were. As a result they communicate more clearly than any of their competition. Plus, their business performance is improving, a solid sign of momentum."

Reber sums up, "If you're looking for simple, effective communication visually…if you're looking to work side-by-side with creatives…if you want to strip away procedural non-essentials…and if your focus is business-to-business, then Pinch is your choice."

Kockler says "Style and substance," and then stops. Urged to explain a little more completely, she adds, "The Pinch boys have some of the best design sense I've ever come across. They both have great hair. They wear good glasses [She was serious – Ed.].

"And there's a worth," she continues, "a capability that's immediately apparent. They have reasons for their ideas, which they'll sit down and discuss with you so you understand. You get a sense, as one of their clients, that they've done a lot of thinking about your situation, your brand, your sales people, your competitors, and they're willing to tell you about it all.

"If there ever is an issue or disagreement about the course, they listen first, then talk or rework. They regard us as experts in our business and we return the same. I appreciate this, because it eliminates knee-jerk defensiveness on both our parts. They're just terrific."

During the summer of 2008, Fios appointed an executive vice president for marketing; this person brought her own people with her, and Pinch was dismissed. This kind of thing happens in business. We had a good run, and like the work we did for them. You can see more of it here and here.