Sereno

A thriving independent brokerage with soul, Sereno had always led with mission and heart in the fiercely competitive Northern California real estate market. Having recently acquired a competitor and facing intense challenge from venture-backed companies, Sereno knew it was time to reimagine and re-articulate their story and their identity.

Work completed at 1000watt

Perspective & Vision

In a region and market defined by change, Sereno stood as constant at the horizon line, offering a different perspective on what a real estate company could be. We built this notion into the very foundation of their new identity.

The horizon line built within the Sereno logo perfectly bisects the word mark, helping to balance its asymmetry. The horizon line can extend infinitely to the right to reinforce the idea of possibility and balance.

Nostalgia as a conceptual driver

The idea of nostalgia surfaced in our discussions with Sereno’s founders, who held to a community-focused vision. I found this a really exciting territory that could act as a rich well to draw upon for both copy, imagery and visuals. 

A brand that identified so deeply with the communities it served had to reflect a sense of place everywhere. The color palette was drawn from the local Northern California landscape to reinforce this idea.

Photo Textures

One of the more unconventional and inspired moments of the identity system took form around what I referred to as  photographic textures. As we considered the theme of nostalgia and the way we might treat imagery through this lens, we developed a custom effect that renders photography in the same way a slide projector would cast family photos on the walls of our childhood homes.

Handcrafted elements

We created hand-painted elements we named contours that served as abstract interpretations of the regional landscape. These motifs would become an integral part of the visual system, touching everything from the company website to yard signs.