THE CHALLENGE
Windy City Harvest, a Chicago Botanic Garden initiative, had big goals: feed more people, grow more food, and expand community programs. But their brand didn’t match their impact. With no clear identity, they struggled to attract funding, engage volunteers, or scale visibility across neighborhoods. They needed more than a new look. They needed a system that could speak clearly, scale easily, and stay consistent even with limited resources and stock photography.
THE SOLUTION
We built a refreshed brand identity rooted in approachability and growth, featuring a flexible layout system and nature-inspired visuals. Designed for ease of use, the system empowered the internal team to create polished, on-brand content using templates, stock imagery, and modular assets. The visual system works everywhere: flyers, posters, social media, email, website, signage, and merch.
MY PART
As Creative Director and Designer, here’s what I did:
✔ Developed a full brand identity system aligned with the mission and tone of community-based urban farming
✔ Designed branded templates for flyers, posters, social media, email, and event materials, built for ease of use by internal staff
✔ Created marketing collateral and signage to elevate public-facing touchpoints and attract both volunteers and donors
✔ Established flexible, accessible layouts that made it easy to stay on-brand even with stock imagery or limited design knowledge
✔ Wrote all campaign messaging and copy across every touchpoint to ensure clear, compelling communication
✔ Delivered clear brand messaging that speaks to funders, community members, and city stakeholders alike
st the tools to grow their mission with clarity, consistency, and a whole lot more visibility.
THE RESULT
Windy City Harvest finally had a brand that matched their mission. The flexible system gave their internal team the tools to create professional materials without needing a designer on call. Volunteer recruitment increased, donor engagement improved, and the brand became recognizable across Chicago neighborhoods. The approachable, joyful visual identity helped position Windy City Harvest as both grassroots and credible, attracting partnerships with city organizations and expanding their reach. The brand grew with them, staying consistent as they scaled programs and fed more communities across the city.
