Mainstay

SCOPE

Branding

UX/UI Design

Webflow Development

INFO

2021 — 2022

ROLE

Developing a brand and website for a property management company providing custom residential & marine stewardship solutions in South Florida.

Overview

CONTEXT

Tim Juliano, former manager of the JM Family Enterprises fleet of super yachts, leveraged his decades of experience in the luxury space to start a luxury property management business in 2021. He saw a lack of honesty, accountability, and customization in property management services in the South Florida market. The needs of high net worth clients in particular were not being met. Tim needed a strong brand identity to authenticate his stellar reputation to capture this demand, and build trust.

CHALLENGE

The property management industry in South Florida is saturated with service providers of all sizes with one thing in common - consistent failure to fulfill their promises. The majority of “snowbird” property owners use their second homes from December until March. Service providers know this, and neglect their duties throughout the rest of the year. The main challenge was helping Tim stand out from the competition with a brand that reflected his personal, trustworthy approach to property management by leveraging his 25-year career of excellence in service to a family enterprise with a net worth over $18B.

SOLUTION

I worked with Tim to understand his value proposition and designed six different trademarks, offering customized logotype and color combinations for each. With Tim’s feedback, I incorporated the best elements and we selected Mainstay as the final trademark. I then designed and developed a responsive and user friendly WebFlow website using best practices in accessibility, created a complete brand deck, and designed mailing stationery, merchandise, and decals. This cohesive branding design and approachable website gave Tim’s brand a staid look and feel, helping build trust in the firm and securing his first client with a net worth over $25M.

Overview Process Brand Guide Collateral
Outcome

Process

RESEARCH

I interviewed Tim to complete a creative brief and understand his industry and unique value proposition. My branding goal was to create a DBA trademark that communicates residential and marine property management services that are professional, dependable, and highly personalized.

EXPLORATION

I brainstormed naming ideas and logotype concepts based on representing personal home and boat care. The result were six trademarks in different styles ranging from upscale art deco, approachable tongue-in-cheek humor, and tech inspired simplicity. Each version employed colors related to its main values.

FINAL TRADEMARK

The Mainstay name combined with the roof and anchor emblem won in the end as an identity that symbolizes a true second home that is something more than a vacation getaway. The subtle inclusion of the letter “M” at the top of the symbol indicates attention to detail.

COLOR & TYPE

Tech-inspired shades of blue signal trustworthy services and customization. The logo, links, and paragraph text is sans-serif while headlines are serif. The combination is meant to appeal to the target customer’s association of serif fonts with upscale financial services.

UI DESIGN & ICONOGRAPHY

The final website prioritizes Mainstay’s big picture on the first page with services elaborated on the second. The phone number dial link as well as the Contact anchor link make it easy to reach Tim. On the service page, each Mainstay offering is described in a responsive, card-style list with appropriate iconography.

Outcome

The final identity has a deep sea shade of blue to represent experience and a lighter one to signal a fresh take in a stale marketplace. These two color choices led the direction for the colorized photography treatment, website, and print collateral. Additionally, a bright yellow highlight accents the influx of energy and difference that Tim’s service brings to the table. The website launched in February 2022 and less than a month later Tim landed his first client with a beachfront residence in Miami and a net worth of over $25m.