When Earnshaw first approached us, the fundamentals were already strong. Their machinery had earned a solid reputation across their part of the WA Wheatbelt and the farmers using it spoke highly of its reliability and performance. The challenge wasn’t the product or the engineering. The issue was that the brand didn’t reflect the quality behind the name. Visually, the business appeared smaller and more local than it really was, which limited how confidently it could present itself to a broader market.

At the time, the visual identity relied on a manila colour palette that blended almost perfectly into the WA landscape. Against red dirt and dry paddocks it aged quickly and lost definition, particularly on machinery. At field days, online, or even sitting in a paddock, the brand simply didn’t stand out. More importantly, the overall look reinforced the impression of a small workshop rather than a capable agricultural manufacturer. For a business with ambitions to grow beyond its home region, that visual signal needed to change.

One of the biggest advantages on this project was the perspective within the team working on it. Several of our designers grew up in regional WA on working farms, around the same communities Earnshaw was building equipment for. That experience shaped the way we approached the design. Farmers tend to be practical decision makers who value reliability and authenticity over presentation for its own sake. They know quickly when something feels superficial. Because of that, the brand decisions needed to be grounded in how this audience actually lives and works rather than assumptions about the agricultural market.

The logo became the foundation of the entire identity. The goal was to create a mark that felt engineered but still connected to agriculture and the land the machinery works on. The final “E” symbol draws from forms farmers recognise instinctively. Within the mark you can see the rhythm of tyre tread, the structure of wheat, and the angled geometry of augers and seeder bins. The result is a symbol that sits comfortably between machinery and agriculture, giving Earnshaw a mark with real meaning rather than a purely decorative logo.

Colour also played an important role in strengthening the brand. Agricultural machinery is often recognised by colour alone, so the shift to orange created an immediate visual signal without imitating any of the established legacy brands. It also performs well in Western Australian conditions. Against red dirt, dry stubble and wide open paddocks, the colour holds its visibility and presence far better than the previous palette. The decision wasn’t about novelty. It was about clarity and performance in the environments where the machinery actually operates.

Beyond the logo and colour, the project focused on building an identity system that would work across the entire Earnshaw operation. The brand needed to hold together on machinery decals, manuals, safety materials, dealer signage and digital platforms, not just in a presentation. Each element — the mark, typography, colour and supporting graphics — was designed to remain clear and recognisable whether applied to painted steel, printed material or screens. Instead of a single visual update, Earnshaw now has a toolkit they can continue to apply as the business grows.

The shift in how the company presents itself has been immediate. Where the previous identity suggested a smaller local operation, the new brand positions Earnshaw as a confident agricultural manufacturer. The logo carries more weight, the colour is instantly recognisable in the field, and the system gives the machinery a clearer presence wherever the brand appears. Most importantly, the visual identity now reflects the standard of engineering behind the equipment.

Looking back, the project felt particularly personal for our team. It connected our own farming backgrounds with the kind of work we want to keep doing across Western Australia — helping capable local manufacturers present themselves in a way that accurately reflects the quality of what they build.

Earnshaw already had the machinery and the reputation. The role of the brand was simply to carry that same weight.