Lisle staff recommends Guide Studio to lead village branding effort; trustees supportive, process to include broad engagement

At the May 5 Committee of the Whole meeting, Lisle staff recommended hiring Guide Studio to lead a village branding initiative intended to refresh the municipal brand, improve communications and support economic development.

Village Manager staff said the fiscal year budget includes funding for a branding refresh and that staff evaluated several proposals and recommended Guide Studio. Kathy Fermat of Guide Studio described a four‑step approach that begins with research and engagement, moves to strategy and planning, then design and finally implementation and wayfinding.

"Every place has a brand," Fermat said during her presentation, adding that the consultant's work focuses on articulating a place’s distinct advantages and producing tools that departments can use. The consultant emphasized a multi‑phase engagement plan that includes public surveys, an invite‑only stakeholder workshop, a steering committee made up of staff and community stakeholders, and implementation workshops for department staff.

Fermat said Guide Studio expects a typical timeline of about six to eight months, with three major presentations to the steering committee and repeated public touchpoints to validate findings. She also described deliverables beyond a logo — color palette, typography, photography guidance, messaging and an implementation plan linking brand work to communications and wayfinding.

Trustees generally voiced support for moving forward but several asked for staff coordination with planned strategic planning and economic development projects so the branding effort complements, rather than duplicates, other work. Trustee Lesniak asked whether outreach includes nonresidents; Fermat said the process focuses first on internal stakeholders and then broad public engagement, using discovery sessions to surface shared themes.

Several trustees noted timing and coordination questions. One trustee said the branding work can inform the village's next strategic plan; Fermat said branding can provide useful place insights for strategic planning teams and can be run before or alongside a strategic plan. Village staff said they will bring a professional services contract and resolution to a future meeting for board consideration; trustees did not vote to award a contract at the May 5 meeting.

No public comments were recorded on the branding item at the Committee of the Whole.

Board members asked staff to return with a contract for consideration and to ensure the process coordinates with upcoming strategic planning and economic development work. Staff said they will present a professional contract and a resolution in a future packet for board action.