ModMax Branding
ModMax is a Tennessee-based modular construction company that builds more than scalable, sustainable housing; they build opportunities. By designing and manufacturing modular living units that connect to form complete homes, they’re creating flexible, factory-built solutions that scale for families and communities. From starter studios to full-scale rental and vacation developments, their mission is to maximize space, possibility, and home for everyday communities without compromising quality.
Overview
At the core of ModMax’s mission is a bold commitment: to serve the “forgotten middle”, teachers, nurses, first responders, and working families too often priced out of traditional homeownership. Through innovations in Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and factory-built modular systems, ModMax is reshaping what accessible housing can look like. Their vision isn’t incremental; it is transformative. They aim to build smarter, faster, and more sustainably, delivering homes that evolve alongside people and communities.
When Founder & CEO Ben Gaxiola and Fractional CMO Sergio Lopez approached me, the company was experiencing extraordinary momentum. They had just raised $23.3M, acquired an 84,000+ sq. ft. facility, and hired over 110 employees. But despite their growth, they lacked a brand they could own and protect. Previous logo design attempts had failed trademark screening and left them without a scalable visual foundation.
They needed an identity that captured their duality: the strength and resilience of their product on one hand, while feeling human and approachable on the other. They needed a system that reflected their technical mastery, but also their commitment to people. One that could scale with their business, support future sub-brands, and, most importantly, they needed a mark they could trademark. Something as unique and resilient as their mission and stands the test of time.
Years Active
2025 - Present
Industry
Sustainable Modular Construction
Services
Visual Brand Identity, Illustration
Building The Foundation
We began with a thorough discovery phase, which included a brand questionnaire, competitor analysis, and conversations that helped surface both ModMax’s aspirations and the limitations of their existing brief. In the first exploration round, I honored the requested direction: muted greens, geometric logo icon approaches, and design tropes common in early-stage construction brands. Why? I'm a firm believer that sometimes you have to show people what they think they want in order to discuss, guide, and give them what they truly need.
So, along with the two initial creative brand directions, I developed two early logo concepts. One was a geometric leaf built from traditional roof truss shapes, intended to merge sustainability with structural clarity. The second was an “M” composed of alternating single, double, and triple-width modules to represent scalability. These explorations served their purpose: they created the pivotal moment of clarity needed to move forward.
This is when Ben said, "I didn't know you were going to get technical with it. That's amazing. It's just...it's just not doing anything for me because I'm trying to move away from trusses. You see, I'm trying to push beyond the limits of what wood can do by moving into CLT construction. Also, I want our brand to feel warm and approachable as well as strong." My internal translation? Lead, guide, and, as always, think beyond the cliches. Now that I had them more open to embracing the new, I could work to do just that. ;)
Crafting The Logo
This challenge pushed me into one of the most research-and-design-intensive weeks of my career. I devoted more than 126 hours in a single week to researching everything I could about modular construction beyond marriage joints and hinged roof trusses. From CLT panels and their use in modular construction for walls, floors, and ceilings. Also, carpentry, woodworking joinery (especially half lap joints), how wood ages, how wood is treated, how wood takes stain, different methods for how wood is cut, and the different softwood tree species frequently used in US CLT panel and modular construction.
I immersed myself in the technical language and know-how of modular construction, applying the same industry deep dives I would for any science, tech, or health brand. All while also completely overhauling two new brand and logo icon approaches and drawing a custom logo wordmark inspired by Rivian and crafted by global leading brand consultancy, Pentagram. Of whom had hired a small team of lettering artists to do that, and a fully custom typeface adapted from Söhne, but you know, no pressure.
By the next presentation round, I had provided two entirely new approaches that moved and astounded Ben far beyond the expected. In this pivotal presentation, I reframed feedback to focus on effectiveness and audience resonance, not personal preference. The result was a breakthrough moment of alignment. Ben’s words captured it best: “Holy sh*t, Elissa! You have shocked me. You're going somewhere. You're actually going somewhere with this thing. I'm blown away by your work. I am very pleased to know you, Elissa. You are an amazing designer.”
Framing The Visual Identity
The final identity balances trust, technical mastery, and humanity, everything ModMax stands for. The logo icon is a geometric form inspired by tree rings, modular scalability, joinery precision, and the enduring strength of wood. Squares anchor the mark in reliability. Arrows radiate outward to express movement, resilience, and limitless potential. Negative space references woodworking half-lap joints, symbolizing connection and adaptability. The result is a modular mark that feels both grounded and expansive, a visual metaphor for sustainable building at scale.
The supporting system carries this philosophy forward. The custom wordmark, loosely inspired by Rivian, is modern, warm, and confidently human. The color palette is drawn from the lifespan and adaptability of timber, how wood ages, takes stain, and chars protectively in fire. This palette also establishes room for future sub-brands: ModMax Grid (greens), ModMax IQ (yellows), and ModMax Studio (reds). Plat-map patterns evoke land development. Deceptively simple architectural illustrations bring clarity to complex structures. A 6×6 modular grid ensures cohesion, structure, and flexibility across all brand applications.
Scaling Outcomes
The final system presents ModMax with a comprehensive, scalable identity built to support their long-term growth. Every element, from the iconic mark to the illustration style, palette, patterns, and grid system, was created to reflect the duality of their mission: technical excellence and human impact. Photography guidelines emphasize warmth, inclusivity, and authenticity, centering real builders, families, and communities.
In total, I delivered more than 250 assets: logo files, wordmarks, expanded identity elements, illustrations, patterns, color systems, sub-brand palettes, and usage guidelines. Each piece was researched, refined, and intentionally crafted to support ModMax as they scale.
Maximizing Impact
For ModMax, the new brand is more than a visual system; it’s a scalable foundation for the future. After previous trademark challenges, they can now move forward with clarity and confidence. The identity reflects their values, their innovation, and their ambition. It speaks with equal strength to investors, developers, and the everyday families whose work will be impacted.
Ben said, “She not only rose to the challenge but surpassed it. She listened deeply, even to what I couldn’t yet articulate, and translated my abstract concerns into meaningful, strategic design. The branding she delivered is thoughtful, clear, and aligned with our direction. Elissa earned my full trust, which I don’t give lightly. Highly recommended.”
This project reminds me why I build brands: to give form to visionary ideas that deserve to shape the world.
