Garrett Gilkey was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and ended his NFL career as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. After retiring due to injury, Gilkey opened HGC, a full-service design-build company focused on custom luxury residential and commercial builds. Within five years, Gilkey was managing a team of 30+ employees with millions in annual revenue and 270% growth.

Ryan Jensen was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, and in 2018 he signed a contract with Tampa Bay. He went on to help the Bucs win the Super Bowl in 2020 and was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2021, before retiring after the 2023-24 season.

With a passion for construction management, Jensen joined HGC as both an owner and partner in early 2023 to help expand the company to new markets. The team quickly realized a new name and brand would be more distinct and ownable as they opened offices in Denver and other major cities outside of Tampa.

The team chose GILK—Garrett’s college nickname—because it’s “memorable, pays homage to the past, and sounds strong and all encompassing.” We partnered with GILK to create a new brand identity system that would help them better reach athletes, entertainers and other high net worth individuals across the country.

The new brand blends aesthetics of architecture, art and athletics to communicate a tailored and collaborative customer experience. The logo was designed to feel sturdy and precise, mimicking the angles of a dovetail joint in high-end carpentry. We carried those angles throughout the design system, using them as photo masks and in supporting patterns.

The GILK brand patterns are also inspired by linework commonly used in blueprints, and an underlying grid system and neon arrow block are used to direct viewers eyes to pertinent information and add a bright pop of color. We also worked with GILK to redesign its website, core identity materials and a gift box that was used to launch the new brand to realtors, potential clients and members of the media.