DRC Chicago - Design Resource Center

Strategy. Creativity. Growth. DRC. Strategy + Creativity for Growing Brands.

Brands speak to us on a deeply human level. They connect with us through images and words that define our culture and root us in a sense of self and place. Strong brands do more than reflect consumer behavior, they define it.

At DRC, we connect brands to consumers through growth-driven strategy + fearless creativity. These are the conflicting forces behind brands that disrupt and delight, entertain and engage, and become part of the cultural mindset as they redefine it. Our design philosophy taps into the consumer pulse, transcending categories and disrupting an increasingly crowded marketplace. We help you push boundaries and take the calculated risks necessary for meaningful brand growth.

Meaningful Connections, Powerful Results.

Based in Greater Chicago, DRC delivers big city ideas firmly rooted in our Midwestern values. We believe that creating meaningful consumer connections is the best way to bring a brand’s underleveraged potential to life.

Our diverse, results-driven team consists of the best and the brightest designers and strategists, as passionate about building client relationships as they are about the brands they live and breathe. We are a team of David’s in a sea of Goliath’s. We compete head-to-head with “the big guys” because we are experienced, strategic, and creative.

No brand is too big or too small for us. We know each brand has a unique voice just waiting to be discovered, drafted, and inked into existence. We know what it takes to make a brand succeed, and we have the dedication and drive to make it happen.

Strategy
A strong brand strategy is built on understanding consumer needs, marketplace trends, and category shifts. At DRC, we are experts in brand strategy. Our process provides an honest assessment of your brand’s current positioning and lays out a clear plan for success, predicting challenges before they happen and ensuring future brand growth. Our strategy services include Research & Analysis, Positioning & Messaging, Brand Architecture, Portfolio Strategy & Optimization, Brand Foundation, NETcast (multiple online survey offerings), BRANDpalette (visual language assessment), and Qualitative & Quantitative Research.

Branding
Brands must be meaningful to become memorable. Too often, firms deliver pretty pictures that fail to resonate with their audience. Our philosophy is different. We dig deep to understand what inspires your target consumer. We strive to deliver more than just colors or shapes on a piece of paper– the magic happens when your brand’s story comes through as clearly as the mark that defines it. Our branding services include Visual Brand Language, Visual Brand Expression, Corporate Identity, Brand Identity, Verbal Communication & Name Development, Point-of-Purchase, Website Development, and Brand Essence Video.

Package Design
To be successful, your brand must connect with consumers the split second they see it. Brand packaging is one of DRC’s defining capabilities. It’s how we got our start 26 years ago, and it’s how we continue to build and retain relationships with our clients. We treat each brand with the focus and strategic thinking that drives our award-winning creative. Never afraid to challenge a brief, we not only give you what you ask for, but we show you what you may not have considered. Our packaging services include Packaging Development, Structural Development, Product Development, Prototyping, and Comps & Mockups.

Activation
Consistency is the key to bringing your brand to life long term. DRC brings the right balance of design thinkers and skilled production artists to seamlessly activate your brand across a multitude of touchpoints, maintaining design integrity while translating it into an array of printing techniques, substrates, package types, and marketing media. We manage all brand assets through completion, working with vendors to ensure consistency on a regional and global level. Our activation services include Brand Extension, Standards & Packaging Guidelines, Production Services, and Retouching.

Our Culture

At DRC, we’ve crafted a culture of strategic, creative thinking where positivity is the ruling spirit, integrity is inherent, and ideas are freely exchanged in an open platform. We are a streamlined team of innovators and problem solvers. We are leaders in our community at large, giving back of our time and talents and contributing financially to causes we believe in. That’s the DRC way.

In addition to our Headquarters in Naperville, DRC maintains a presence at Bunker Labs inside 1871, Chicago's Technology & Entrepreneurship Incubator - 222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, 12th Floor, Chicago, IL. (312) 342.1930