Design has always been a key but underrated factor in how construction equipment is perceived and marketed. As the sector evolves, it will only become more important for establishing a manufacturer’s identity and telling their story.
As you walk through a city, what would you rather see on either side of you? Futuristic and imaginative skyscrapers? Parks with green trees and vibrantly coloured plants? Classical columns, or Victorian bricks?
How about a construction site? Whatever your interests or tastes, industrial areas like these would probably be low on most people’s list. Such a site isn’t supposed to be appealing, but a necessary step towards building something more appealing. Building sites are temporary, and they are preferably hidden behind barriers covered with images showing people what the eventual result will look like when the construction has completed and disappeared.
And yet, if your business is construction equipment, your reputation and appeal to customers depends not just on what your machines can deliver, but how they look; because how they look communicates what they can do, and what you as a company can provide to customers.
On display, not hidden away
Construction is a constant feature of our cities, transport links, and in our daily lives. Despite our best efforts, we can’t hide the fact that cranes are part of our modern skylines, just like the structures they build, nor can we fully conceal the scaffolding surrounding the skeleton of a new building. If that’s the case, and will surely be the case long into the future, it’s worth thinking about how we can make these features of heavy industry appear to people as something worth looking at, something interesting and useful and beautiful, something that communicates to people the value and reputation of the equipment, rather than trying to conceal them?
I’ve spent the past few years filming on construction sites, quarries, and factories. My aim has been to show how our clients products work, what they do, why they’re so useful and why people like working with them. But I have also striven to show how good these machines and tools look while doing their job, and to use how they look to emphasise how good they are at what they do. Without that, it would be much more difficult to demonstrate their appeal. I have found it illuminating and exciting to discover that this part has been much easier than you might think, because design has been understood by our clients to be such a key part of their brands.
The elements of industrial style
“Form follows function” is a common refrain in fields like architecture and industrial design, and for construction and industrial equipment, it is even more important. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore how good a machine can look, and what messages it can convey to customers.
Consider the use of colour, shape, and logotypes that make a piece of equipment stand out from its competitors; the confident, strong shapes of a Rokbak truck, the earthy colours contrasting with a splash of yellow and the bold typography of its logo. These aesthetics speak volumes about its reliability and performance.
The classical yellow and black colour scheme of Volvo’s Construction Equipment contrasts with, and complements, the sleek, modern, futuristic shapes of the equipment, highlighting their experience and quality as well as their embrace of new technologies. These machines are lovely to look at, with designs that make them stand out against competitors, and they are a pleasure to photograph and film.
Design for the future
As technology and trends rapidly progress, the design of construction equipment will only become more important, as will communicating these designs to the market. Electric machines that are quieter and non-polluting, along with a move away from polluting energy sources in general, make it more feasible for construction to occur in closer proximity to people. Machines working in these industrial areas will have more opportunity to showcase their strengths, and that can only be helped through a strong design that tells those who see them what kind of machines they are. More people will understand that your equipment is state-of-the-art, reliable, innovative or efficient.
The beauty of construction equipment and industrial processes, while not always obvious, has always been an iconic part of the history of art and design. Think of the photographs of workers in New York City sitting on the girders of the skyscrapers they build high above the city, or how mills and power stations built during the Industrial Revolution are now recognised for their aesthetic value as well as their historical importance. With the right construction PR agency helping to tell your story and understanding the importance of design to communicate the value of your equipment, today’s cutting-edge construction equipment can also be a part of that history.
If your team is preparing for a product launch or looking to strengthen how you communicate design thinking to your audiences, we’d love to help. Get in touch.
Ben Poulten
Creative Designer
About the author
Ben is SE10’s creative designer, combining technical skill with storytelling flair to produce high-impact visual content across graphic design, animation, and video. With a background as a documentary film editor and director, he brings a sharp eye for narrative and emotion to every project. His creative versatility spans formats — from short-form animations to long-form videos and he has hands-on experience managing shoots on active construction sites and quarries, with a keen focus on safety and logistics.
