Contrast & Co. is an award-winning boutique brand strategy, identity, and design consultancy driven to create the smartest, most strikingly different brand experiences on the planet.
Let's make some contrast together.
Contrast & Co., in partnership with Bixal, is proud to announce a new contract award from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Through our 8(a) joint venture, CRUX, we’ll lead service design and product strategy efforts to support the continued development of myTTB—TTB’s modern, secure, and user-centered digital ecosystem.
This work focuses on redesigning and replacing TTB’s legacy formulas and labeling systems with tools that better meet the needs of agency staff, industry partners, and the public.
“Our partnership with TTB is about far more than just technology; it’s about reshaping public service by blending creative, human-centered design with efficient, agile delivery,” said Dharma Pachner, Founder of Contrast &Co. “We are committed to building digital experiences that are intuitive and effective for the people they are designed to serve.”
TTB plays a critical role in protecting the consumer, supporting economic activity, and ensuring fair, transparent regulation. But outdated technology can slow things down, causing delays,confusion, and frustration across the system.
The CRUX team will help TTB:
• Establish a modern product management function rooted in agile, user-focused principles.
• Develop a scalable framework for customer experience (CX) research, testing, and iteration.
• Design and prototype new digital services to replace aging legacy systems.
• Prioritize the features that matter most to users, reducing complexity and saving time.
• Build internal capacity so these efforts continue to grow, long after delivery.
• Integrate smart, time-saving tools like AI to support service design and delivery.
When services are easier to use,compliance improves. When systems are better connected, decision-making gets faster. And when government teams have tools that work, they can focus on what matters most: serving the public.
This modernization effort will help:
• Make compliance simpler for alcohol and tobacco businesses.
• Improve efficiency for TTB staff and operations.
• Enable faster, smarter oversight through better data.
• Deliver scalable tools that evolve with agency and user needs.
CRUX is a joint venture between Bixal and Contrast & Co., certified under the SBA 8(a) program. Together,we bring human-centered, agile, and impactful solutions to federal agencies working to modernize public service delivery. Our team blends strategy, design,and delivery, ensuring that every product we support is rooted in real user needs and built to succeed.
Contrast & Co. is a boutique brand strategy, design, and digital studio driven to create the smartest and most effective brand experiences anywhere. We help organizations of all sizes define themselves and express their messages in ways that are unique, motivating, and powerful. From naming and identities to comprehensive brand guides, rollout strategies, and websites, we help our clients stand out and get noticed.
Contrast & Co. has been named to Adweek's Top 100 Fastest-Growing Agencies. We see it as our responsibility, and honor, to help our clients shine—so let's create some contrast together. Reach out to us at carin@contrastandco.com
