Client Overview

Real Axis Engineering (RAE) is an engineering services firm founded by Phillip Marks, a former NASA and Apple engineer with deep expertise in FPGA and embedded firmware development. Based in Seattle, RAE serves aerospace and defense organizations with highly specialized technical solutions that simplify complex engineering challenges.

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More than just technical execution, RAE differentiates itself through customer-first service—listening carefully, responding quickly, and delivering with precision. With ambitions to grow into adjacent areas like PCB design and application software, RAE is building a reputation as a trusted partner for high-stakes, mission-critical projects.

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The Challenge

Real Axis Engineering (RAE) is a newly launched engineering services firm specializing in FPGA and embedded firmware development for the aerospace and defense industries. Founder Phillip Marks came to me just weeks after starting the business, preparing to attend the Small Satellite Conference where he needed to make a strong first impression with peers, potential partners, and existing network contacts.

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The goal: create a brand that would feel polished, credible, and established—helping position RAE not just as a solo consultancy, but as a firm with long-term vision and technical depth.

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The Process

The branding process began with a discovery call, where I learned about Phillip’s background, his goals for the new business, and the immediate need for legitimacy ahead of his first industry conference. From there, I guided him through a deep-dive questionnaire that uncovered the story behind the Real Axis name, the firm’s mission, and the values that would shape the brand: clarity, transparency, service, and technical excellence.

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With those insights, I developed a brand direction rooted in aerospace cues, signal processing symbolism, and a clean, structured aesthetic. The concept was presented through a brand board outlining the proposed color palette, typography system, and visual tone. Once approved, I refined these elements into a complete identity system: a bold logotype with a distinctive split “X,” a scalable icon, and guidelines for consistent application across print and digital.

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Throughout, I kept the timeline expedited to ensure RAE had polished materials in hand for the conference—balancing strategy and execution so the brand would not only launch strong but also scale with the firm’s growth.

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The Solution

The final brand identity for Real Axis Engineering positions the firm as both technically exceptional and approachable. At the core is a bold, italicized logotype with a distinctive split “X”—a subtle nod to the company’s signal-processing roots and its promise to simplify complexity. The design conveys precision, forward momentum, and trust at a glance.
 

To support the mark, I built the Signal Cascade palette: deep aerospace blues balanced with refined neutrals that communicate authority, clarity, and professionalism. Typography pairs Montserrat Bold for confident structure with Inter for legibility, while Fugaz One adds selective personality in key highlights.

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The deliverables included a primary and secondary logo suite, the “X” icon for small-scale use, a custom color system, typography guidelines, and production recommendations. Real-world applications—from social profiles to presentation decks—demonstrated the brand’s versatility and established RAE as a credible, polished partner ready to scale.

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The Outcome

The final identity gave Phillip the confidence to step into his first industry conference with a brand that felt credible and established. From presentation decks to social profiles, the RAE visual system is versatile enough to support near-term networking and scalable enough to grow with the firm as it expands into adjacent services.

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Most importantly, the brand communicates what RAE stands for: simplifying complexity with precision, transparency, and thoughtful service.