Branding takes many forms, such as a new logo design, changing the colors of an existing logo, updating a slogan, and more. At JB Systems, we recently had the opportunity to help the Eau Claire Police Department re-brand themselves by creating a new logo.

On Tuesday, August 18th, some of our team members were in attendance at Phoenix Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin as Police Chief Gerald Staniszewski unveiled the logo on two new police vehicles, along with another vehicle that will serve as the community relations car.

An Eau Claire police officer stands with a new squad car with the new logo on it.

Given the unpopular view of law enforcement the past year, we knew our team had to be very sensitive and strategic in our design. Our graphic designers needed to make sure to give the ECPD a logo that conveyed both an authoritative AND approachable feel, while also delivering the award-winning level of work JB Systems is known for.

“The main challenge they presented us with was they wanted a logo that would be more recognizable by the community and be relatable,” says Meghan Bauer, Art Director at JB Systems. “Especially with all the negativity surrounding law enforcement right now, they wanted something that would make people feel at ease with the department and not think of them as completely aggressive and authoritative. They want to be seen as people you can be comfortable to approach any time with any need.”

The elements of the logo are seen here, with the water in the background representing Eau Claire, the eagle, and the six stars representing the Eau Claire Police Departments core values.

From there, Meghan and Jenna, two of JB Systems’ graphic design artists, went to work, using this project to challenge themselves as designers and learning to apply creative design to solve such a complex public issue. There were many different elements the ECPD wanted to incorporate in their brand, such as “Old Abe” the eagle, to represent strength and authority. They also wanted water represented in the logo to symbolize “Eau Claire,” our city of clear water. Having the word “police” in a strong font presents an authoritative image, while having “Eau Claire,” in a softer font, gives the vehicle an approachable feature.

While we wanted to give the ECPD brand a fresh look, we also wanted the logo to maintain some of the original logo elements, in order to keep their identity visible and familiar to the community. Our design team accomplished this by including six stars, which can be seen along the sides of the badge. The stars represent the Eau Claire Police Department’s six values of Honesty / Integrity, Dignity / Respect, Commitment, Service / Caring, Professionalism, and Lawful Behavior.

The new branding will be featured on ECPD’s police cars, letterhead, mailing labels, envelopes, and business cards. We even took photos of ECPD staff of various departments, which were used on the community relations car to make it personable and approachable.

Community Relations car.

“The Eau Claire Police Department was a pleasure to work with,” says Meghan. “All in all, it was a lot of fun to work on their logo, and I’d say we’re very proud with how it turned out!”

Are you looking to update your brand and set your company or organization apart from the rest? Give JB Systems a call, and we’ll get started on designing a brand that will give your company the competitive edge you need. Not only will be back your site, but we’ll also back your brand!

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We are beyond excited to accept these awards. It reassures us that we are meeting our goal of providing the best services possible to our clients, and it encourages us to stay creative and innovative in our website designs.

Our designers understand that you have just three seconds to wow any visitor who comes to your website. That’s why it’s crucial to have a design that’s functional and beautiful, in order to keep them from closing their browser on your site. With JB Systems, you can get a custom website that is functional and beautifully designed so that visitors will browse your website and learn more about your company. In fact, we’ll design a website that will keep those visitors coming back, as well as bringing more visitors with them.

Winning these GDUSA awards proves that we understand the value of those three seconds. Through extensive hours researching current trends and learning which designs enhance user experience, to the desire and drive of our designers to out do their past designs, we are able to continue building award-winning, custom designed websites year after year.

More importantly, winning GDUSA awards reflects JB Systems’ ability to work as a team. Designers collaborate with web developers on how designs can enhance user experience and visitor engagement. Without this team effort and collaboration, we would not have been able to win 21 GDUSA awards over the past four years. Our ability to build and deliver creative, custom websites always depends on our ability to work together.

There are six different categories that GDUSA’s American Web Design Awards accepts submissions for: Websites, Microsites, Social Media & Networking, Desktop, Mobile, and Tablets & Handheld Devices.

JB Systems was recognized with 5 awards in the following 4 categories:

The infographic we designed for the Confluence Project in Eau Claire, WI.

Website Design
Client: Elite Realty

Mobile/Responsive Design
Clients: Rands Trucking and Earthbound Environmental 

Microsite Design
Client: Lil Dudes N’ Divas

Desktop/Infographic Design
Client: Community Confluence Project

Check out the sites above and see what JB Systems is capable of creating. We would love nothing more than to design a stunning and unique, custom website for you and your company. Let’s move your company forward together– contact us today!

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Design. That’s how.

It’s one thing to have a website that’s capable of doing a lot, but it’s another to get your web visitors to take advantage of it. Since our Graphic Design department recently took home three (!) web design awards from GDUSA, and three (!) graphic design awards from GDUSA (still so new it’s not on their website yet), we thought we should give a little more attention to the work they do.

So – how does design contribute to the success of your website? Here are a just a few ways:

You have 3 seconds to get their attention.

That’s right. 3 seconds. Having an engaging home page that relates to what the customer is looking for is key to retain each visitor. This can mean rotating promotional banners with special offers, recent news and updates, or the newest images from your photo gallery. Somehow, the look has to catch their attention and let them know that there’s a lot of good information beyond that home page.

Your customers don’t care about you.

When your potential customers come to your website, they’re looking for something – a solution to their problems, or information they need. They usually aren’t coming to see how great you are, or how many people you’ve worked for. They just want to know how you can help them with their problem. User-centered design keeps the focus on your customers, and a great designer will help you build your website from the customer’s perspective.

Brand Matters.

It’s important that your website is consistent with the look of your flyers, brochures, vehicles, signage, advertising, and any other materials that portray your brand. Maintaining consistency between all areas of your marketing helps to strengthen your brand. And that means you become more memorable and recognizable. The design of your website has to communicate that brand – through graphic elements, color, photography, fonts/typeface, and even language. The success of your branding is in paying attention to all of the little details.

Trends Matter.

If your website was designed over 3 years ago, chances are it may look a little bit outdated. Not only does technology change quickly, but so does design. There are new techniques, trends, and methods that are used and changing daily. Plus, customers’ expectations of websites are increasingly demanding – they expect that they’ll be frequently updated, clean and simple, and super easy to navigate. And they’re being conditioned to use only  the sites that get them what they need the quickest. Refreshing your design and keeping it up-to-date with new design trends that fit your business is part of telling your customers that your business is also up-to-date.

Graphic Design at JB Systems

JB Systems offers full graphic design services – a great way to extend your marketing both online and offline. Of course, website design is our first love, but our designers also love doing print design such as:

• direct mail
• newsletters
• advertisements
• flyers and brochures
• folders for proposals or sales presentations
• business cards
• and more.

Printers, Sign Makers, Promotional Companies – Oh My!

We work with vendors of all types, working to find the best service, quality, and pricing that’s out there, while taking the pressure off of you to get the final product done exactly the way you want it.

Logo Design, Corporate Identity, & Branding Packages

JB Systems also provides identity design (logo design) services. A great time to update your logo (if you are looking for this) would be as you’re introducing a new website – a great way to launch your new look to the world!

Take that First Step…

No matter where you’re starting from, we’re confident we can help get you to where you want to be. Check out the links below to explore our services, or to meet with our designers about your project!

Check out our web design portfolio.

Contact us to talk about your graphic design and/or branding needs.

Already a Client of JB Systems? Thinking of a redesign? Talk to us about updating your website look!

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