DEI Gear required a brand update that represented the level of quality and professionalism that they deliver to their clients, who are some of the toughest critics in the world—various branches of the US Military, private sector corporations, and national consumer brands.
The equipment DEI Gear produces is built to protect and to last with an emphasis on ease of use, so we set out to build a brand of equal resilience and user experience design.
One of the main challenges was re-positioning the company as a specialty solutions lab that would appeal to private industry, rather than a simple contractor with e-commerce offerings geared toward military-only clients.
THE BRIEF
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Creative Direction
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Brand Development
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Brand Identity Design
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Product Photography & Imaging
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Motion Graphics Video
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Web Design & Development
Scope of Work
MESSAGING
Mission
Provide innovative solutions to enhance load carriage capabilities with our team of design and manufacturing partners; on time, on budget, at top quality + excellent value
Vision
Enhance the capabilities of people doing the hardest jobs in the harshest environments
Promise
Reliable when it matters most
Values
Quality, Agility, Insight, Adaptation
Product Photography
To elevate the presentation of the products, we captured product shots with the 100 megapixel medium format Phase One camera at Stoodio One in Brooklyn. The wavy background was digitally generated, giving the gear a chance to camouflage while still being visible.
Visual Identity
The logotype for DEI was created as a tribute to their flagship invention, the 3DSR® buckle. The overall identity was designed to reflect a rugged and streamlined aesthetic, utilizing strong, future-focused sans-serif typography with a military sensibility.
The color palette was derived from the colors used in their gear, naturally matching US Military standard issue color designations for use in various environments.
Tactical load carriage solutions designed for military, industrial and consumer enterprise needs
With 40+ years of innovation and millions of products shipped to US Military and its Allies under their belts, DEI Gear is built to solve unique load carriage challenges at scale.
Motion Design
The video was designed in 4’s to celebrate the 40 years DEI has been in business, as well as the 4 millionth pack frame delivery. We created a musical arrangement combining a piece from Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons with a military marching cadence in 4/4. The intro uses Sand, Mud, Snow, and Rain to illustrate the rugged, all-season functionality of the gear.
The following section uses 3D models of the DEI shatter-resistant-polymer products to demonstrate the volume of gear delivered globally. Finally, the animation of the logo combines the effect of mixing paint into the visual style of camouflage.
Web Design & Development
The goal of the website is to demonstrate DEI's innovative mindset, capabilities and previous accomplishments. It is meant to inspire those seeking solutions for seemingly impossible load carriage challenges to imagine what might be possible in a collaboration. DEI is ultimately a laboratory testing the most effective solutions both in-house and most importantly, in the field.
The solutions they are legally allowed to share are innovations they have developed for the US Military, such as pack frames, packs, and ammunition magazine holsters. However, they were clear that the site was not to appear to be an e-commerce store, despite the fact that products are available for purchase. To accommodate this, we converted their online shop to a sample ordering interface, helping visitors to understand they typically manufacture and ship in bulk.