25 Years of Conrad: Our Brand Through The Years
We've changed quite a lot in 25 years. Thankfully, so has our logo.
As Conrad Consulting celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, we've been looking back through the archives at some of the moments that have shaped our story. And seven years after we last explored the evolution of the Conrad brand, we thought it was time to revisit one particularly colourful part of our history.
From having no logo at all, through a few designs that are perhaps best left in the early 2000s, to the identity you'll recognise today, our branding has evolved alongside the business.
So, let's go back to where it all started.
2001: Conrad is born
When Graham Ventham founded Conrad Consulting in Framlingham in 2001, there wasn't a brand strategy, colour palette or carefully considered logo.
In fact, there wasn't really a logo at all.
What Conrad did have was Graham's reputation within Civil & Structural Engineering recruitment, a network of relationships and the ambition to build a recruitment business of his own.
Those relationships became the foundation of Conrad Consulting – and 25 years later, they remain fundamental to the way we work.
2002–2003: You have to start somewhere...
As the business gained traction and began increasing its coverage across the UK, it became clear that Conrad needed a recognisable identity.
While the first 'proper' Conrad logo was being developed, this served as a temporary solution.
We said it in 2019 and, another seven years later, we're happy to say it again: it hasn't aged particularly well, has it?
Still, every brand has to start somewhere.
2003–2010: Our first proper logo
Then came our first established identity – and this one stuck around for seven years.
As Conrad grew beyond its beginnings as a one-man business, Graham began building a team and establishing the company as a recognised specialist within Civil & Structural Engineering recruitment.
The branding was simple, professional and considerably more representative of the business Conrad was becoming.
2010–2012: Establishing our position
By 2010, Conrad had become firmly established within Civil & Structural Engineering recruitment and it was time for another refresh.
The new identity remained deliberately straightforward, clearly communicating who we were and what we did as the business continued to strengthen its position within the market.
But Conrad was about to become much more than a Civil & Structural Engineering recruiter.
2012–2013: Technical Recruitment Specialists
As Conrad continued to grow, so did the markets we worked within.
Established recruitment specialisms were emerging across Surveying, Architecture and M&E, allowing us to support multidisciplinary clients across more of the Built Environment.
Our branding evolved with us and Technical Recruitment Specialists was introduced beneath the Conrad Consulting name – a much better reflection of the business we had become.
2013–2019: Things get colourful
Then came perhaps our biggest visual transformation.
The familiar Conrad colours arrived, accompanied by a new graphic inspired by an aerial view of high-rise buildings – connecting the identity more closely with the industries we served.
The broader spectrum of colours also reflected the growing breadth of Conrad itself, as our specialist recruitment services continued to expand.
During this era, Conrad grew significantly geographically too, expanding from its Suffolk roots and London presence to establish offices across the UK.
For six years, this was the face of Conrad Consulting.
2019: A brand built for what came next
In May 2019, we unveiled the Conrad Consulting identity you know today.
At the time, we described Conrad as being at an exciting stage of its growth, with ambitions in both the UK and international markets.
We didn't have much to reveal about those plans then.
Seven years later, it's interesting to look back at just how much has happened since.
Conrad now operates across both the UK and US, our specialist teams and markets have continued to develop, and the way we connect with clients and candidates has changed enormously.
Yet the identity created in 2019 has remained.
The logo retained the colour and personality that had become recognisably Conrad, but introduced a cleaner, bolder and more confident identity designed to take the business into its next chapter.
Seven years on, we think it's done its job rather well.
2026: 25 Years Building Careers
This year, there's another addition to the Conrad brand – but we're not changing the logo again just yet.
To mark our 25th anniversary, we've introduced our 25 Years Building Careers badge, celebrating a quarter of a century since Graham first established the business in Framlingham.
It's designed to sit alongside our existing identity throughout our anniversary year and recognise the journey from a one-man Civil & Structural recruitment consultancy to the Conrad Consulting of today.
Perhaps one of the best signs that the 2019 identity did what it set out to do is that, seven years later, it still feels fit for purpose. Since its introduction, Conrad has continued to grow across the UK and expanded overseas into the United States, building teams and relationships on both sides of the Atlantic – all without the brand needing another reinvention.
Reaching 25 years feels like a good moment to look back. These logos provide a snapshot of our journey, from our beginnings in Suffolk to the business we are today. Some have aged better than others, but each represents a different stage in Conrad's development.
The sectors, technology, locations and ways we communicate may have changed considerably since 2001. What hasn't changed is the importance we place on people, specialist knowledge and lasting relationships.
Here's to 25 years of Conrad – and whatever our logo might look like in another 25.
