Hagerstown Choice
branding / layout / storytelling
Grow. Build. Thrive.
The Hagerstown Choice Neighborhoods Plan is a community-driven planning process that developed a vision for the future redevelopment of three Hagerstown Housing Authority (HHA) housing sites, with community voices at the forefront of the process. The Plan's slogan, "Grow. Build. Thrive.", is the goal for the Hagerstown community. Beyond growing and building Hagerstown physically, through this planning effort, residents hope to grow, build, and thrive as people. It was my job to make sure the brand could also grow and thrive for this community.
Building Brands Together
The Hagerstown Choice brand was developed in partnership with the community. Community ambassadors participated in a virtual brand workshop and a couple of brainstorming activities where residents shared their favorite places and spaces in Hagerstown. The result was a brand embraced by the community because they had created it.
Community Care Package
We worked with HHA to hand out a "community care package" to every household in the three neighborhoods. The care package encouraged participation in the Needs Assessment Survey, an important tool in assessing current conditions and needs in the neighborhood before planning commences. With the help of this care package, we exceeded our survey target and gathered valuable insights into these communities.
The care package included 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!
Engaging with the Community
Interacting with the community is essential for the planning process. Community engagement events featured branded boards that highlighted plan progress, survey results, and asked important questions with space for residents to respond.
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.
