client
Whatcom Land trust
Services
brand strategy, branding, wordpress web design & development, brand enhancement
Whatcom Land Trust has been a staple in Bellingham and the surrounding areas for 40 years. Working to preserve special places for future generations lies at the heart of their mission and their team of dedicated stewards is committed to protecting the lakes, rivers, farms, and forests that make Whatcom County special.
The ask
With the 40th anniversary approaching, the Whatcom Land Trust team decided it was time to refresh their brand and website to set them up for the next 40 years. Their original logo had become a bit static and didn’t offer a suite of alternative marks, making their overall branding feel disjointed and misplaced. They also have had a rotating team over the years that used and added elements to the brand resulting in an identity that felt muddled and misunderstood.
Similarly, the website had been managed by so many different people through the years that the organization lacked structure, the design felt misused, and the user experience fell short. With a new brand and website, the team wanted something that felt modern but still organic to the non-profit’s mission. They wanted the website to be informative, easy to navigate, and drive users to donate and get involved in community events and work parties.
The Approach
We started with Brand Strategy to find and address and pain points the organization had been feeling and standardize the foundational language used when talking about the Whatcom Land Trust. We quickly discovered that a big issue with the current brand stemmed from two areas. First, the Whatcom Land Trust lacked a unified voice, so the community felt unclear on its mission and often confused it with similar businesses in the area. Second, the organization needed to reach a wider audience and target a younger demographic to build a new donor base. We set out to create a clear and consistent brand story, visual identity, and online presence that would resonate with a broad audience and motivate them to take action.
The Result
In order to clarify the Whatcom Land Trust mission, we created a brand rooted in Pacific Northwest nature and referenced elements of the nonprofit’s areas of focus throughout the visual identity. The logo mark itself layers the biodiverse landscapes and settings found in the region, I created patterns that mimic the seaweed and sandstone found on Whatcom County’s shores and utilized a typeface that feels inviting but offers structure to the overall aesthetic.
For the website, I leaned heavily on the brand elements and incorporated color, pattern, and captivating imagery throughout to tell a meaningful story. In addition to restructuring the site and removing old content, we added new content areas to feature the organization’s success stories and videos to inspire new community involvement.
The end result is something I’m so proud of and I loved every bit of this project. I continue to work alongside the WLT team to produce brand consistency through promotional material, impact reports, and online content.
