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Waterfront Seattle is a program from the City of Seattle containing 12 projects to rebuild Seattle’s waterfront following the removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct. As lead designer on the program, I was responsible for branding development and consistency, delegating tasks, and designing materials to strategically build program awareness and disseminate ever-changing construction information.

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A contemporary color palette and distinctive symbols are used to stand out against the grey concrete currently on the waterfront, giving posters, banners, and wayfinding excellent contrast. Bright, cheerful renderings are a positive look at the new parks and amenities Seattleites and visitors will be able to enjoy in the future.

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Before construction began on the waterfront this construction toolkit went out to locally impacted businesses to familiarize them with the program and the work about to happen. Each piece was designed with the whole package in mind. A few fun takeaways were also included; a magnet with the construction hotline and branded buttons.

WFS brochure
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The brochure needed to explain each project, contextualize where and when construction would be happening, and be compact enough for people to easily take with them from public events. With a program area spanning 1.5 miles a map-style fold-out was the best option, allowing for the space to show off all the projects while still maintaining a typical brochure size when folded. 

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As construction began we took advantage of the surrounding fencing to share visions of the future space to educate and build excitement. The banner plan was designed in sections as the construction fencing was frequently moved and rearranged. These sections allowed us to cover 3 panels of chainlink fencing, a small enough area for workers to move the fence effectively while still giving enough space to focus on big, dramatic visuals and tell a story.

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Waterfront Seattle held events periodically in order to inform and receive feedback from the public. My goal was to distinguish each event as well as make the topics clear. Imagery for events was repeated across materials to brand the event. Seeing ads online, posters, or receiving a postcard in the mail would then reinforce the topic of that particular event.

Event poster

Website Redesign Goals

  • Make important & most often sought-after information quicker to access
     

  • Gather all construction updates together for one-link access.
     

  • Highlight projects uniformly as part of a comprehensive whole. No project should feel more important than the others. 
     

  • Create more interactive experiences to encourage longer visits.

Homepage

Translations available in Seattle's 11 most common languages for greater inclusion.​

Large visuals invite users in and give context.

Quick links on the home page for finding the most sought-after information. 

The 'Join Our Mailing List' direct form in the footer allows for quick newsletter sign-up anywhere on the site.

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Project Information

  • ​Standardized project pages show quick progress overviews of location and timeline.
     

  • An updated interactive map shows all projects in the program and highlights each project on rollover.
     

  • New project grid that displays all of the projects at a glance and acts as navigation.
     

  • Top-level progress is shown through color coding (completed projects are shown in gray) and in a project status timeline for each project.  

Waterfront Seattle Website
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