PTW Architects

Client
PTW Architects

Date
2014–2015

Scope
Brand audit and review
Stakeholder interviews
Leadership engagement
Brand strategy
Workshop facilitation
Identity design
Typography
Brand guidelines
Collateral design

Project background

The Client
With a long-standing presence in the Australian architectural industry, PTW has a reputation as a trusted, traditional commercial firm with a number of iconic projects to its name – most notably, (in recent years), the Watercube in Beijing and One Central Park Sydney. Now with offices in Sydney, Beijing Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Taiwan and Shenzhen and projects in Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific, PTW is strengthening its global reach and reputation as a design-led business.

The brief 
In 2014, as part of an overall review of the business’ brand positioning and culture, Citizen was commissioned to provide insight and recommendations to support PTW’s future aspirations.

At the time PTW had ridden the highs and lows that came with its 126-year history and was at the crossroads of ‘where to next?’ Our initial brief was to help define PTW’s internal culture, design philosophy and brand positioning in order to re-affirm its design credibility and reputation within key markets in Australia, Asia and beyond. We were later engaged to develop PTW’s new brand identity.

Our solution 
During the ‘Define’ (insight and analysis) stage of the project, we undertook an extensive consultative process including workshops and in-depth interviews with PTW’s key internal and external stakeholders including its core management team, practice leaders and Directors, design leaders from across the business, past and current clients.

In responding to the desire amongst key stakeholders for a refreshed identity that reflected PTW’s new vision and collective design voice, we developed a new logo and visual identity for the business. 

The result 
The insights gleaned from the Discovery phase of work have informed future considerations for a comprehensive brand repositioning and communications strategy to support PTW’s strategic plans and organisational change process. We’ve also created a refreshed identity that feels ‘owned’ by this generation of the business’ leaders.