Discovery and Brand Audit for NEST
Allison Biggs
Nest Design + Build
NEST is an architecture-led design + build firm based in Seattle, focused on high-performance, sustainable residential work. I was brought in to conduct a comprehensive discovery and brand audit to clarify their positioning, messaging, and website strategy ahead of a full redesign.
The goal was not to rebrand for trend’s sake, but to distill what already made NEST strong — and translate that into a clear, confident digital presence.
My Role
Led discovery and stakeholder alignment
Conducted brand, content, and competitive audits
Defined positioning, messaging principles, and UX strategy
Translated qualitative insights into actionable design guidance
This project reinforced my belief that the strongest design work starts with clarity — and that strategy, when done well, should feel invisible but essential.
While NEST had a strong ethos and impressive body of work, their existing website and marketing presence weren’t fully communicating:
Their holistic design + build process
Their expertise in high-performance and green building
Their relationship-driven, craft-led approach
What differentiated them from similar Seattle-area firms
The challenge was to create clarity without oversimplifying — and to build a messaging system that felt intelligent, human, and durable.
The discovery phase was designed to act as a strategic foundation for all future design decisions. Key objectives included:
Clarifying NEST’s purpose, values, and voice
Defining their ideal client and audience mindset
Auditing competitors, contemporaries, and role models
Identifying opportunities for differentiation in messaging and UX
Establishing clear content and positioning principles for the website
This work served as the "north star" for the redesign.
We create high-performance builds through our dedication to craft, client, and community.
NEST’s mission centers on the belief that well-designed homes support the people who live in them — emotionally, physically, and environmentally.
We are:
Passionate, steadfast, transparent, purposeful, inventive
We are not:
Trendy, robotic, superficial, inaccessible
This distinction became critical in shaping tone of voice and visual restraint — avoiding buzzwords or overly minimal, impersonal design.
A well-designed home supports its people
High-performance and sustainability are inseparable
Resilient homes require innovative problem-solving
Strong client relationships are foundational, not secondary
These values reinforced the need for messaging that emphasized process, trust, and long-term thinking rather than surface-level aesthetics.
I conducted a detailed review of regional contemporaries and national role models, including:
Jackson Design + Build
Typical Works
AT6 Architecture + Design Build
Opal Architecture
Strong firms lead with bold, values-driven hero messaging
The most effective sites balance storytelling with technical credibility
Process clarity builds trust more than overloading technical language
Sustainability messaging works best when tied directly to client benefit
This analysis helped identify gaps where NEST could stand apart — particularly in integrating architecture-led design build with holistic sustainability as one unified story.
An architecture-led design + build firm that speaks about high performance and green building holistically — not as separate services.
Rather than competing on trendiness or minimalism, NEST’s strength lies in clarity, expertise, and care.
Who we are: A team of holistic thinkers and doers
What we do: Design and build high-performing, sustainable homes
Who we do it for: Homeowners who value long-term quality and livability
Why we do it: To bring lasting joy to clients, community, and planet
Key Messaging
Make purpose and values immediately visible on the homepage
Pair bold hero statements with concise “why” explanations
Establish expertise early and reinforce it throughout the site
Process Communication
Use storytelling to explain design + build and green building
Avoid over-technical language — show confidence through clarity
Emphasize collaboration and guidance over prescription
Introduce multiple, intentional CTAs throughout the site
Align CTAs with the narrative flow of each page
Make next steps obvious without overwhelming the user
Introduce natural, grounded color palettes that complement project photography
Balance clean typography with warmth and personality
Use varied image layouts to prevent content fatigue
Let project photography lead — content should support, not compete
The most effective sites balance storytelling with technical credibility
Process clarity builds trust more than overloading technical language
Sustainability messaging works best when tied directly to client benefit
This analysis helped identify gaps where NEST could stand apart — particularly in integrating architecture-led design build with holistic sustainability as one unified story.
This discovery audit created a shared strategic foundation between client and designer, aligning messaging, positioning, and visual direction before design execution began.
The resulting insights guided the website redesign, clarified NEST’s brand voice, and ensured that every design decision was rooted in purpose — not preference.
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Posted Mar 2, 2026
Conducted a discovery and brand audit for NEST to enhance online strategy.
