THE CHALLENGE
Windy City Harvest, a Chicago Botanic Garden initiative growing 100,000+ pounds of produce annually, struggled to attract funding, recruit volunteers, or build neighborhood recognition. With no cohesive identity and limited design resources, they needed a brand system that non-designers could use with stock photography across dozens of touchpoints.
THE SOLUTION
Built a brand identity rooted in growth and Chicago pride. The four-leaf logo with pink accent has a conceptual layer: the negative space forms the six-pointed Chicago star from the city flag. We extracted that star as a standalone graphic element for OOH and campaigns, reinforcing civic identity. The modular shape system and green-pink palette work everywhere from bus shelters to volunteer lanyards.
The clean sans serif and sentence case messaging feel conversational and confident, not preachy. “Fresh food, builds strong communities” uses a deliberate comma pause that creates rhythm and weight. The line breaks flow naturally, making it readable and memorable. Scale is calibrated for each application, bold enough to be a statement on a hoodie, legible at small sizes on stickers and lanyards.
Professional enough for corporate casual Friday, grounded enough for weekend farmers markets. People proudly rep what they do for their city without it feeling garish.
Designed for internal staff to execute independently. The system includes plug-and-play templates, stock photo-friendly layouts, and modular assets that maintain brand integrity without design expertise. Messaging focuses on impact. The system spans recruitment flyers, donor materials, OOH, social, website, signage, and merch.
MY ROLE
As Creative Director and Brand Designer:
✔ Developed brand identity with Chicago star negative space, extracted as campaign element
✔ Designed typography system and messaging framework built for broad appeal
✔ Created template library for flyers, posters, social, email—built for non-designer use
✔ Built stock photo-friendly layouts enabling consistency without design support
✔ Designed merch system, volunteer materials, signage standards, website, social templates
THE IMPACT
Operational Efficiency: The template system enabled staff to create professional materials without constant designer support. Stock photo-friendly layouts meant tight budgets didn’t compromise quality.
Civic Positioning: The Chicago star positioned Windy City Harvest as essential city infrastructure, not fringe movement. OOH campaigns resonated with civic pride, securing city partnerships and funder credibility.
Growth: Volunteer recruitment increased as the brand became recognizable across neighborhoods. The professional system attracted major donors and signaled organizational maturity. The brand scaled with the organization, staying consistent as programs expanded citywide.
