Hagerstown Choice
branding / layout / storytelling
The Hagerstown Choice Neighborhoods Plan is a two-year community-driven planning process that will develop a vision for the future redevelopment of three Hagerstown Housing Authority housing sites and propose improvements to the surrounding neighborhood with the voices of the community at the forefront of the process. My role for this plan was to develop and implement a unique brand identity that captured the spirit of the three neighborhoods and the residents' vision for their future.
The Process:
The brand was developed with direct input from community members. I led a virtual branding workshop that discussed the purpose and function of a brand as well as some foundational elements for consideration, such as colors, logos, and typography. After gathering initial feedback on those foundational elements and imagery representing the neighborhoods, the client and community ambassadors selected this brand from the presented options.
Brand Application:
Deliverables for this project included a "swag bag", which was a tote bag containing Hagerstown Choice stationery, a mug, a magnet, an informational postcard and brochure, and a sugar cookie with an edible version of the logo! The bags were handed out to every household in the three neighborhoods to encourage participation in the Needs Assessment Survey, an important tool in assessing current conditions and needs in the neighborhood before planning commences.
Engaging with the Community:
During the planning process, there are several community touchpoints. Postcards, flyers, and social media posts advertise community engagement events dedicated to hearing resident feedback. The events feature informational boards highlighting plan progress, survey results, and important questions with space for resident responses.
These updates and interactions with Choice Neighborhood residents are a critical part of the process. Everything we learned from one another was reflected in the final plan.
The Plan:
Two years of work, conversations, and collaboration live inside the Hagerstown Choice Neighborhoods Plan. Almost 300 pages of goals and strategies, narrative, photos, maps, and data work together to form a plan for the neighborhoods' future development.
The brand colors and shapes were an important tool for organizing the document. Chapters were color-coded for easy navigation between sections, and shapes containing icons signaled different types of callouts.
Resident quotes throughout the plan show community support for the proposed actions. The quotes also function as an important graphic element, adding interest to text-heavy pages and offering a natural break between paragraphs.
