The Civic Standard
Hardwick, Vermont’s community hub for arts and culture gets a spotlight-worthy refresh, blending historic charm with modern appeal.
About The Civic Standard
The Civic Standard is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building community and collaborative good times in Hardwick, Vermont. Founded by Rose Friedman, Tara Reese, and Erica Heilman in 2023, The Civic Standard is homed in an old newspaper building converted into a “New Deal” era-inspired community built around fostering the arts.
Their passion for creating a cultural center that bridges social and cultural gaps in their community is contagious – and even garnered national media attention.
When their nonprofit was about to be featured in a massive PR push, founder Rose Friedman knew their website had to be ready to field the attention. They needed a sharp website that would clearly direct and inspire passive visitors to give to their mission. But they didn’t want to lose their authentic charm that people in Hardwick had come to know and love.
Logo Refresh
The Civic Standard’s logo was cluttered and would be confusing for new visitors, so we leaned into their existing signage and created a logo that reflected their literal front door. This logo also works perfectly on their website to inspire a visual identity that feels timeless and familiar.
Visual Identity
The Civic’s community is full of warm and vibrant personalities, so we embraced distinct design elements that reflected the community’s history and mission. We opted for an eclectic set of Google fonts that would maintain The Civic’s “community bulletin board” approachability, yet work together to feel like a cohesive, distinctly styled family. This also gives The Civic the flexibility to lean into different styles for different events.
The new color palette balances bright, vibrant hues with depth and warmth, helping The Civic feel established, authentic, and historical. These colors also help show off their existing photography style with layers of texture and warmth.
Lauren was clear and concise with her communication. She moved at a fast pace and got the website up and running on our timeline. She also provided support after the site was up as we had things we wanted to adjust.”
Wix Website Refresh
The Civic’s team felt comfortable with Wix, but their page designs lacked visual hierarchy and keywords, as well as an easy way to facilitate donations. We refreshed their existing Wix website and added the online fundraising tool Fundraise Up.
We also evaluated their current content and grouped pages together to make the site easier for seasoned patrons and new visitors to navigate.
Playing up on the “community bulletin board” feel, HeartSpark also built noticeable layers of depth into the design, bridging a modern look with an eclectic design and real community photos.
Project team
Lauren Atherton
Creative Direction
Scope
Logo Refresh
Visual Identity Design
Wix Website Design
Focus Areas
Community
Completed
May 2024
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