The portfolio of wes stäbler
I led the complete brand transformation for Home Test Co., crafting an identity that included logo design, brand voice, typography, photography, color palette, and a robust website. I oversaw the creation and execution of every touchpoint to ensure clarity, trust, and accessibility, ultimately helping the company grow from a small team of six to a nationally recognized brand with just under one hundred employees
To develop a professional, trustworthy, and approachable brand identity that positioned Home Test Co. as a leader in environmental testing, emphasizing the essential nature of their services to homeowners and businesses.
Environmental testing causes people a lot of stress, especially when things like toxic mold or asbestos are involved. Nobody needs to be told this stuff is harmful, and no one wants to be scared into buying something. The challenge was to move the brand from fear-mongering tactics to a more professional, reassuring voice of reason and make the entire process as painless as possible.
If you search “mold testing near me,” you'll be assaulted by images of moldy apartments plopped into almost-functional WordPress sites. This is the case for even the bigger names in the industry.
Rather than shoving images of moldy bathrooms into our customers' faces, I chose a cleaner, more modern aesthetic for our branding. Rich, sophisticated maroons and neutral greys with plenty of white space supported a smarter, kinder brand voice. A vibrant red accent punctuated black-and-white photography. The confidence of Neue Haas Grotesk headers above the professionalism and grace of paragraphs set in Plantin reassured clients that Home Test Co. would take care of them.
Nothing stifles organic growth like stretching the truth and playing on customers' fears. Acknowledging that our customers were already afraid and overwhelmed when they contacted us, I urged the company's leadership to discourage their teams from using fear-driven tactics to scare their customers into making purchases. Instead, I pushed for making factual, science-based information easily accessible and prioritizing transparency at every touchpoint.
When I started, developing an attractive brand for a company that dealt with toxic mold seemed daunting. Soon, I realized that our customers came to us just as overwhelmed. We needed to simplify everything—from the brand's visual approach to how the sales teams pitched.
I developed a brand with a professional voice that relied on science-backed information to lead users from fear to somewhere they felt confident enough to take action. I wanted to ensure they understood the importance of testing without feeling tricked into using our services.
Home Test Co. expanded from a cramped, five-person office to a brand with a national presence in the time I managed its marketing department.
Website traffic tripled and, with it, conversion rates as users now found the process clear and accessible.
The company became a go-to source for environmental testing, with commercial and residential clients in every state.
Branding is about so much more than aesthetics. Building trust is paramount. By creating a brand that was both approachable and authoritative, I turned an intimidating and unappealing subject into a service that homeowners and businesses actively sought out.
“Before working with Wes, we were a small team trying to find our way. His vision helped us find the confidence we needed to become a national brand.” – Mike M. (Founder)
If you have any feedback, questions, or pointers, I'm all ears! Feel free to discuss this project or anything else you've seen on this site.
