Smith, Seckman, & Reid (SSR) is a 100% employee-owned engineering and consulting firm known for solving complex challenges with a people-first approach. With 500+ colleagues across 16 locations, SSR delivers high-caliber engineering, commissioning, and sustainability solutions.
The Ask.
SSR needed a brand and website refresh to position themselves as more than engineers—trusted consultants. They wanted a modern identity that reflected their expertise, differentiated them from competitors, and attracted top clients and talent.
The Answer.
Third & Arch reimagined SSR’s brand and digital presence to better tell their story. We developed a bold, human-centered identity and a high-performing website that reinforced their leadership and premium positioning.
The Goods.
- Brand Identity
- Brand Strategy
- Logo Design
- Web Strategy
- Web Design & Development
The Challenge
Before our work, SSR had a brand and website that didn’t fully capture their value as both engineers and consultants. Their visual identity felt outdated, and their messaging lacked clarity, making it harder to differentiate from competitors. The website wasn’t effectively engaging key audiences—prospective clients and top talent. Through strategic research and design, we uncovered opportunities to sharpen their positioning, showcase their expertise, and create a more compelling, human-centered brand experience.
The Research
Through workshops, audits, surveys, interviews, and research, we dug into SSR’s brand and market position. Internally, their employee-owned culture makes for a tight-knit, collaborative team, but their messaging wasn’t hitting the mark. Clients struggle with talent shortages and shifting industry demands but often don’t know exactly what they need. Competitors either lean into service expertise or market specialization, with a lot of generic messaging and stock imagery. Plus, engineers still battle outdated stereotypes around communication and creativity.
The Solution
At the core of SSR’s brand refresh is the idea “We Own It”—a reflection of their 100% employee-owned structure and problem-solving mindset. This new brand positioning highlights what sets SSR apart: their deep commitment to collaboration, agility, and delivering high-quality solutions. To bring this to life, we refined their market-specific messaging, ensuring each industry SSR serves feels understood. We also modernized their visual identity with a warmer color palette, approachable typography, and authentic photography, reinforcing the human side of engineering. As a result, we designed a brand and website that feel dynamic, engaging, and distinctly SSR—because when you own it, it shows.
Humanizing SSR’s Brand
SSR’s brand is built on people, but their old identity felt too corporate and impersonal. To better reflect their culture, we recommended humanizing the brand by introducing a warmer color palette, friendlier fonts, and more engaging, authentic imagery. Instead of stock photos, we emphasized featuring real team members in genuine moments. Small interactive elements, like hover effects and subtle animations, further enhance the website’s personality, making it feel more approachable and dynamic.
Services Anyone Can Understand
SSR offers a wide range of services, but the way they were presented felt overwhelming and overly technical. To make things clearer, we streamlined their services into three core pillars—Consulting, Engineering & Design, and Technical Planning—with specific service pages nested under each. This structure makes it easier for clients to quickly understand what SSR does and how it benefits them without getting lost in industry jargon. Each pillar page provides a high-level overview, while individual service pages dive deeper into the details, ensuring a balance between clarity and expertise. Plus, the flexible setup allows for easy expansion as SSR grows.
Undeniable Market Expertise
SSR serves a broad range of industries, but their website wasn’t effectively showcasing their expertise in each market. To fix this, we developed detailed, market-specific landing pages that provide a focused, one-page experience for each sector. These pages highlight relevant services, industry insights, client testimonials, featured case studies, and key staff profiles—all tailored to resonate with that specific audience. By structuring the site this way, SSR ensures that prospective clients can quickly find the information that matters most to them, reinforcing SSR’s credibility and making it clear why they’re the right partner for the job.
A Recruiter’s Dream Come True
SSR’s new careers page isn’t just a job board—it’s a window into what makes SSR a great place to work. Designed to attract top talent and make recruiting easier, this page brings everything a potential hire needs to know into one spot. It highlights SSR’s mentorship program, team testimonials, ESOP benefits, and company culture, giving candidates a real feel for what it’s like to be part of the team.
The Impact
With a refreshed brand and a website built for clarity, engagement, and growth, SSR is now positioned as both a trusted consultant and a leader in engineering. Their new identity highlights what makes them unique—their collaborative, people-first approach and deep industry expertise—while the website ensures clients and recruits can easily find what they need. From market-specific messaging to human-centered design, every element reinforces their value. The result? A brand and digital presence that not only reflects who SSR is today but also supports where they’re headed next.
The Result.
