JNS

Over three decades of business, Johnson Nathan Strohe (JNS) had become one of Denver’s most influential architecture and interior design firms in the hospitality and multi-family sectors. Yet it had been several years since the brand had an opportunity to apply their deeply intentional, story-centric philosophy to their own website and branding. We were asked to collaborate on a full website redesign for the firm, from reimagining the sitemap and user experience, to crafting new copy for the brand’s core messaging, as well as their most eye-catching projects. 

Our creative partnership with JNS formed organically, beginning with designing sales and marketing materials for their firm, and eventually growing into revising the brand’s core messaging at a strategic moment of evolution in the company. So when it came time to redesign the brand’s website, we were eager to modernize and simplify their communications with an easy-to-manage Squarespace site that would ensure that the brand’s content remains up-to-date as the company continues to grow and evolve. In particular, our approach to the “Process” and “Portfolio” sections of the site have helped the JNS team better articulate their unique philosophy and showcase their strategic strengths as a design firm. Over time, we have continued to support their ongoing evolution, including an email marketing strategy that builds upon this foundation website work.

LOCATION

Denver, Colorado

PROJECT SCOPE

Visual Brand Refresh
Brand Messaging + Copywriting
Squarespace Website Design
Lifestyle Photography
Email Marketing
Marketing + Sales Asset Design

Modern multi-story apartment building with glass storefront at street level, some trees, and parked cars in front.

The Opportunity

JNS has long been one of Denver’s premier independent architecture and interior design firms, working on numerous hotels and multi-family residences, as well as select public projects including the City Park Golf Clubhouse. Yet, as is often the case with businesses whose reputation is built on word-of-mouth and long-standing relationships, the brand was overdue for an aesthetic and messaging refresh that reflected the evolving leadership and approach at the firm.

A modern architectural rendering of a commercial building labeled 'Mercantile' with pedestrians and vehicles on a busy city street.
Modern lobby with large windows, eclectic furniture, colorful artwork, and indoor plants.
Close-up of a modern bedroom with a bedside table, a wall-mounted lamp, and a picture of an owl on the wall.

The Challenge

With so many years of projects and assets to pull from, helping the company’s principals simplify and focus their message and aesthetic was one of our key priorities. Our goal was to convey the same clarity of vision that JNS brings to their own client projects through a sleek, modern website with a clear sense of storytelling. Additional priorities included highlighting the team’s extensive work outside of Denver, as well as their capabilities in the field of historic or adaptive reuse.

Laptop displaying a project about The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block, featuring images of the hotel exterior and a contemporary hotel interior with artwork on the wall.
Looking up at a brick building with large windows and a black awning. The word 'Rambl' is displayed in gold letters above the awning.
Hotel or reception area with a curved green tufted leather counter, a computer on the counter, a vase with dried plants, a framed picture of a woman in red, green potted plants, and a wall-mounted light fixture with four globes.

The Messaging

 “Pragmatic Beauty” had long been the company’s trademarked tagline, yet we felt that the presentation of this concept had not been adequately tied to the team’s methodology and past work. Shifting to a high-level narrative around “Hospitality-Focused Design,” we built out a detailed “Process” page that clearly outlines JNS’ philosophy, while also shifting the structure of their portfolio to clearly identify the team’s unique areas of specialty.

Interior of a room with a large abstract wall art piece made of looping white cords, wooden paneling, and a bookshelf with decorative items. A woman is walking past the artwork.
A page with text about a company's commitment to projects and a technical architectural sketch with measurements and notes for construction details.
Top-down view of a person arranging various material samples and design elements on a table, including tiles, fabric swatches, and decorative objects, with the number '2' in gold.

Email Marketing

Continuing our multi-year collaboration with the JNS team, we were were asked to support their ongoing marketing communications—which had previously relied heavily on PR, moreso than brand-owned channels. After creating a foundational evergreen email series for new subscribers, we then shifted to supporting the creation of a more timely quarterly email—with recurring content strategy, copywriting and email design.

Modern building with large glass windows, dark metal roof, and surrounding greenery, mountains in the background, cloudy sky, yellow banner with white text reading 'Letters from the Studio'.
Interior of a modern lounge with pendant chandeliers, lounge chairs, and a bar area, featuring a large window letting in natural light.
Three images at the top showing a modern building exterior, an interior bedroom with a large mural of a woman, and a lobby with a woman sitting on a leather chair. Below the images is a paragraph of text about human-centered hospitality design.
Modern hotel room with a large window, stone wall, a four-poster bed with white bedding, a bench at the foot of the bed, and seating area with two chairs and a small table.
Modern multi-story building with storefronts on the ground floor, situated along a busy street with cars and pedestrians.

THOUGHTS FROM THE CLIENT

“Collaborating with Lauren & Carly has been a great experience and we are thrilled with the results. Our updated website now reflects the work we do and the team it represents.

Lauren brings an eye for beauty and balance that was critical in conveying our visually-focused work. Carly’s talent for the written word was instrumental in describing our projects and design intent. Together they helped guide the process and wrangled our team of creatives with grace!”