Q: Tell us who you are and a little about ARTZ Philadelphia.
A: My name is Susan Shifrin and I am the Founder and Executive Director of ARTZ Philadelphia. We’re a non-profit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that provides opportunities for self-expression and for the rebuilding of self-esteem and dignity to people living with dementia and those who care for them. We focus on evidence-based programs that connect people living with dementia and their care partners with artists, cultural organizations, and each other.
Q: Why did you come to Wyndetryst?
A: We were in need of a strategic design partner who would listen deeply to me (as founder and Executive Director of the organization), to my staff, to our board, and to our constituents, and then responsively refine our story and shape around it messaging and a visual identity that would carry through from a new website to graphic materials. Wyndetryst was recommended to us and we never looked back!
Q: What was your challenge?
A: Our mission is all about creating an oasis of hope through art, and how to show the impact and power of art on participants’ lives and spirits. We knew that in order to continue to meet our goals and reach a larger audience we needed to refresh and modernize our brand to get to the core of who we are. ARTZ Philadelphia has such a bright outlook on life, and we really wanted our brand to reflect that same vision.
Q: What were you hoping to achieve with the rebrand?
A: We wanted it to still look professional, but have a touch of sophistication married with whimsy and fun. Since we focus on self-expression and our audience are artists and cultural organizations, color and creativity needed to be woven into the fabric of our look and feel.
Q: What were some of your challenges in needing a new look and feel?
A: We needed to be sensitive to the details of our mission, the very specific nature of the populations we serve, the importance of highly nuanced language in that service, and the respective needs of the wide variety of constituents we serve, from program participants to partner museums to donors to corporate sponsors and grantors. So it was vital to design a range of pieces that engage all of them, would carry us through the future, while also respecting our budgetary restrictions.
Q: Tell us about the results of the rebrand.
A: We couldn’t be happier. The palette Wyndetryst created uses bold colors, heartwarming photography, hand-drawn patterns and expressive typography to really bring our brand to the next level. There’s a heavy focus on storytelling from people who reflect the audience creating a more emotional connection. Wyndetryst even used artwork created by our program participants as a way to humanize our mission.
Q: What were some of the materials that Wyndetryst created for you?
A: So many!!! We have a brand new website, tons of marketing materials and stationary (pocket folder, insert sheets, business cards, and a multi-page booklet), and even targeted campaigns. Plus, they gave us a style guide so we can move forward with all the necessary design tools.
Q: What were some of the results of the rebrand?
A: In two short years we have a website that consistently receives rave reviews from our visitors, new and returning. We have gained a marketing packet that captures the essence of who we are and that causes people to whom we hand it to pause and immediately pore over it because of its graphic impact. We saw a 41% increase in donations in just three years, an increase in registrations of program participants in the last two years, greater ease of sign-up for volunteers and participants on the new website and more people reporting an understanding of what, exactly, participants can expect from our programming.
Q: Any final thoughts about the project?
A: Perhaps most importantly, we have gained an ongoing, reliable and ever-creative partner in telling our story and helping us to reshape that story as necessary as we grow and change. Matt and his staff are so dedicated to their clients that he has asked me if they might volunteer for us at one or two of our programs so that they can gain an even deeper sense of who we are and what makes us tick.
ARTZ came to us as a referral.
Knowing that someone thought enough of our work to recommend us is not only high praise, it’s the best kind there is. If you know a non-profit organization or other business that might need some design, we’d really appreciate you sharing the love this Valentine’s Day (or really any day!).