Case Studies
U.S. Customs Service
Quick and creative design for the Office of Information and Technology
Situation
As the oldest federal government agency, the U.S. Customs Service performs a vital role as the front-line protector of our borders. In response to government mandates to agencies to streamline procedures and create more succinct written communications, the U.S. Customs Service Office of Planning wanted to reshape its image. Customs needed to dispel negative images created by its enforcement work and reinvent itself as an agency with modern business practices.
Customs had to:
- Define a modern new image that was still mindful of its rich history and appropriate for external and internal audiences.
- Create an agency graphic identity system for brochures, fact sheets, forms, signage, reports and other collateral materials.
- Develop a strategy for creating clear, direct and positive written communications for external and internal audiences.
Results
Boscobel first conducted messaging sessions and collected customer service surveys to determine internal and external audiences, current perceptions in these markets, and overall department and agency objectives. Based on the results, we created design templates for all collateral products to graphically brand the agency and reinforce the new messages.
We rewrote key communications including the agency's five-year strategic plan and created a strategic plan abstract, which reduced 80 pages of reports and charts to a 16-page summary featuring full-color illustrations and clarified text.
Shortly after creating the new brand image, Boscobel was asked to assist the agency with a highly sensitive, time-critical crisis management project. Already having the graphic templates, color palette and message maps in place, we were able to quickly and effectively create large format, full-color airport port-of-entry signage and brochures for four international airports.