Servicing the real estate market in Hawaii and abroad for nearly 100 years, Title Guaranty is a well known island brand that rarely stops for anything, much less a conversations on typeface. At ASWS, we’re privileged with receiving requests for re-branding or updating a clients visual assets, and TG proved to be our most challenging identity refresh to date.

Assessing all the visual assets and identities existing within the company was the first step to creating a plan and determining design constraints, mostly obvious, but some hidden. Their subsidiary companies, field offices and inter-office communique where part of the larger visual restructure as well.

Like most large companies, the life of a corporate identity can often fall prey to augmentation by internal or external forces over time. From incorrect fonts loaded into MS Word, to overnight design solutions for rapidly developed products or initiatives, TG was prone to those situation and more.

Like painting a moving car, re-branding an active company with specific needs internally and in the field proved challenging. After many discussions with the redesign group to explore new logos, we decided simplification of assets was the best solution overall. The original logo was refreshed with new typefaces and proportions. A graphics manual, updated collateral, typefaces and logo files were generated to support the refresh initiative. Structure and organization of their visual assets proved more valuable than attempting to reinvent a living logo mark. This makes plenty of sense, as their company name implies.

Signage for field offices

ASWS co-directed and edited a series of interviews for C2C Homes, a startup design-build company with plans to provide pre-fab homes to Hawaii. Different locations for the interview were scouted but ultimately the production team decided with conducting them at the C2C workshop, near the old Plantation stacks in Waipahu. In the video above, we couldn’t resist shooting B-roll of general shop activity, capturing some steel welding work (which resembles a alpha-male version of glass blowing) for one of their Pre-Fab projects. Check out their custom built two-story office at the end of the clip.

The interviews were designed to be used as part of their marketing collateral for the C2C website and upcoming trade shows. Design-Build Pre-Fab is a fairly new concept to the Islands, with the CEO explaining the process allowed for better comprehension, and presumably,  lower client anxiety.

In post-production we did a simple animated introduction using the C2C logo in After Effects. The idea of a spinning steel bolt became obvious when the logo was turned on its side. Sometimes you get lucky. Thanks to Mike (Mike May Media Services) Sheryl (HOMDesign) and Clif for letting us ride shotgun on this one.

In 2010, we partnered with local motorcycle outfit Kingdom Customs to help launch their first custom build-to-order motorcycle – The Stiletto. Our challenge was to design a website that presented the bike in a no-nonsense manner with clarity and organization for local and overseas customers to understand every detail of the product. A secondary goal was to create a clean and confident web presence that elevates the company above the cliche of tattoos and pinstripes often associated with motorcycle culture. The inclusion of a blog was integral for fans and customers, allowing visitors the ability to see into ‘the process’ of making and marketing a build-to-order motorcycle in Hawaii. After completion, the client is able to manage every part of the website, allowing for quick and flexible performance as they evolve their product and company. Talented guys and amazing technology.

Kingdom Customs Motorcycle Company

Our fourth year of design duties with Alexander & Baldwin involved three islands, a bio-mass generator, a Kaua‘i rainstorm, a night shot on a 200ft crane, three cargo ships, massive refractions of light and getting locked in a sugarcane field. A total refresh of photography highlights Alexander & Baldwins’ massive asset portfolio across the entire state. Hard work and good fun.

Working with our Kaimuki neighbors, Coffee Talk gives ASWS the duty of updating their hard-working rewards card. New color scheme, updated contact info and a refreshed logo to keep the inside of your wallet design friendly.

A little sample of work under development at ASWS. More to come.

A few years ago ASWS was asked to provide design support for the Hawaii International Film Festival, we collaborated with the HIFF team to re-brand and strengthen their identity and collateral. A few years on, it’s great to see HIFF is stronger then ever with a growing attendance of younger viewers and volunteers. This year I got to take in a few movies and overdose on popcorn. Here’s a short list of my highlights from HIFF 30.

• Beth Gibbons (Portishead) voice in the credit track for the Tempest
• Bill Cunningham’s Photo Documentary
• Getting offered a stash of poke by the DP during ‘To Live & Ride in L.A.’. Thanks for the sweet sticker!
• Seeing even more friends names in credits this year
• Hearing the audience react to ‘How wasted are you?’ in ‘This Film is Broken’
• Getting over Star Wars
• Being the only guy to probably break a wine glass at HIFF this year
• Being mistaken for Taika Waititi (Director of Boy)

Good times. Big mahalo to Sarah, Andy, Sean and Chuck at HIFF for the passes.

Fitted Hawaii’s new online store launched today, offering a selection of custom t-shirts and fitted New Era hats designed right here in Hawaii. Airspace Workshop provided design and development services including a customized Shopify theme, as well as Twitter and Facebook integration. In addition to a new front-end look, a robust tracking system was also implemented to help Fitted Hawaii measure their online campaign performance and gain detailed insight into their revenue sources.

Fitted Hawaii Online Store | Fitted Hawaii Blog

We’ve been working with Posterous to develop two customizable themes for their blogging platform, and today we are proud to announce that both Headline and M82 are officially available. If you’re looking for a dead-simple way to post everything, check out Posterous.

In their final phase of construction, The Vanguard Lofts required a hand-out for buyers to reference the 36 unit apartments. As a additional piece to the original brochure, a self covering accordion fold brochure was in order. The tour map was designed to allow sales agents quick reference to the unique floor plans while escorting guests through the building or to assist buyers in self-guided tours.