Building a template infrastructure to hold communications consistency across a complex organisation
When one of New Zealand's largest property organisations undertook a major rebrand, the visual refresh was only part of the challenge. The harder work was building the governance and template infrastructure that would hold the new standard across a 70+ branch network and ensure everything produced after the rebrand actually reflected it.
THE SITUATION
Barfoot & Thompson is one of New Zealand's most established property organisations, operating across more than 70 branches with a substantial commercial and projects division alongside its residential business.
When the brand underwent a major rebrand, documents produced across branches and divisions reverted to old patterns. New team members interpret the standard differently from the last. The rebrand investment compounded into inconsistency rather than coherence.
The commercial and projects division added a further dimension. Unlike the branch network's marketing collateral, these teams produced investor-facing and stakeholder materials – information memoranda, market reports, industry reports and project communications, that required not just visual consistency but structural discipline. Materials that would be read by sophisticated commercial investors, developers and stakeholders.
THE ENGAGEMENT
Ästhetik entered the engagement as an embedded freelancer during the rebrand itself, working inside the organisation as part of a team building the governance and template infrastructure from the ground up.
That embedded relationship became a three-year strategic supplier partnership handling a consistent portion of the organisation's communications output. Covering overflow across marketing and client-facing work, and serving as the primary design resource for the commercial and projects division's investor and stakeholder materials.
Across that engagement the work spanned two distinct bodies:
Governance and template infrastructure: Working within the team to maintain the visual governance framework – the typographic standards, layout conventions and document templates that would hold brand consistency across the branch network without requiring central oversight of every document produced. Production-ready templates designed to be operated by non-design teams without producing inconsistent results.
Commercial and investor-facing communications: For the commercial and projects division, information memoranda, market reports, industry reports and stakeholder communications designed to carry institutional weight. Materials that communicated the quality of the underlying assets and the rigour of the organisation behind them to sophisticated commercial audiences. Each document type built within a consistent structural and visual framework, applied across the division's output over three years.
1981
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
1989
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
1997
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
2008
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
2021
This is the space to introduce the business and what it has to offer. Define the qualities and values that make it unique.
Our Attorneys
This is the space to introduce the team and what makes it special. Describe the team culture and work philosophy. To help site visitors connect with the team, add details about team members’ experience and skills.
Janet Lin
Managing Partner
Allen King
Partner
Benjamin Cohn
Partner
THE OUTCOME
A communications infrastructure that held the rebrand's standards across 70+ branches in the years following its launch, without the new identity drifting back toward the inconsistency it replaced.
A commercial division with a governed set of investor and stakeholder communications, IMs, market reports, industry publications, that reflected the scale and discipline of the organisation producing them.
A three-year partnership that moved from embedded resource to trusted supplier, built on the kind of consistent, unglamorous infrastructure work that only becomes visible when it isn't there.
5/5
Thank you Rosh for delivering a beautifully designed Bequest Report. It was a pleasure for my team and I to work with you.
John Morrow
5 / 5
At Jarden Wealth, we have worked with Asthetik Studio for over 4 years. We have had such a great experience working with Rosh, who has been instrumental in producing our flagship Investment Outlook, and redesigning our client communications. Rosh has been outstanding in suggesting and implementing improvements that has continually lifted brand standards over the years.
Tim Agar
5 / 5
Asthetik has served as a key strategic partner for the past three years. Their service has demonstrably enhanced our workflow by providing a consistent and high-calibre design resource. Our collaboration ensures consistent brand messaging across all reporting materials — their design proficiency safeguards our brand image and integrity.
Neal Morshead
5 / 5
I have huge respect for Rosh Java and her team. I’ve used her and the team for many of my enterprise clients previously - and they always produced the most polished design elements. Suffice to say I was guided by experts who were genuinely in tune with my vision from day one. Bravo Rosh Java and Ästhetik Studio.
A.J Hazelhurst
