Portfolio
BEAUTIFUL SAVIOR | CINCINNATI, OHIO
Client Goals
- Integrated Website: Create a site that lives on the existing beautiful-savior.com domain but presents as a unique ministry.
- Local SEO: Boost search engine rankings for increased visibility and traffic in an urban area.
- Branding: Create a brand identity separate from the original Beautiful Savior brand, produced with a young, wealthy, urban audience in mind.
- Organic Community Outreach: Create an extremely sharable resource for the launch team's use.
Approach
Sitting about 8 minutes from the city center, Beautiful Savior Oakley's audience is populated with young, well-educated, relatively wealthy individuals. Values of the community include hard work, long hours, and climbing the corporate ladder. People here may find themselves near rock-bottom emotionally as a result of the constant grind and often use their monetary resources to "fill the God-sized hole."
With that in mind, we decided to create the Everyday Sabbath email series: a daily scripture, devotional thought, and journal prompt. Considering almost everyone in the area is somewhat consumed with "hustle culture," a primary focus for Beautiful Savior will be to consistently—even daily—point back to the rest that can be found within God's Word.
With strong SEO, we drive traffic to the website, capture emails using the devotional resource, and communicate regularly with prospects via email: driving them to in-person gatherings when appropriate.
Logo
Their brandmark is an image trace of an illustration I created using a brush pen and watercolor paper. The shape loosely represents the silhouette of a home.
Read more about this design process here.
Copywriting
Beautiful Savior Oakley's tone of voice is genuine, casual, and compassionate. We chose to write in a way that is inclusive, where everyone feels recognized as part of the inner circle. Because much of our audience may not have been to church since childhood, we communicate in a way that calms common anxieties about participating in a church. We use a lot of scripture to communicate our ideas. We do not use any language that has a commercial or sleazy connotation. We use a relational tone that reflects the experience of receiving a thoughtful text from a close friend. Our calls to action invite exploration rather than obligation. We gently encourage deeper reflection on life and faith with plenty of compassion and without any hurry. We use imagery drawn from what can be seen, felt, tasted, smelled, and heard within a familiar, nostalgic home or living room setting. We also commonly use imagery that can be found within the Psalms.
Website
The goal for the Beautiful Savior website, since the church does not yet have a physical location, was to be the digital front door to the church. With strong SEO, it was also important that we capture contact information as prospects found the site. We chose to use a lot of scripture throughout and to communicate transparently about the process of starting a church. We used a few vintage postcards of Cincinnati that are now public domain.
Feel free to sign up for the Everyday Sabbath yourself!
Print Designs
I commissioned a local letterpress artist to create thick, linen-colored business cards with the logo blind pressed into one side and the pastor's contact info on the other. Instead of a traditional tri-fold brochure, I created a business card sleeve for launch team members to be able to share. New visitor gifts will be custom Fellow mugs wrapped with the brand pattern: a vintage quilt inspired design that abstractly represents the church's 4 core values.
LIVING STONE | ARVADA, COLORADO
Client Goals
- Enhanced Website: Create a user-friendly, visually appealing, and functional website.
- Improved SEO: Boost search engine rankings for increased visibility and traffic in a densely populated Denver suburb.
- Integrated Messaging: Establish a cohesive, year-round communication strategy for various prospect groups.
- Expanded Community Outreach: Take advantage of multiple platforms to engage with and serve the community more effectively.
Approach
Living Stone's primary audience in Arvada includes families with younger children and parents in the 30- to 40-year-old age range. As a suburb of Denver, values of the community include family adventures in the mountains between busy weeks full of lots of children's sports and activities.
With that in mind, we decided to create a "Devotional Day Planner," a printable resource that's intended for use by busy moms or dads as a means of connection over God's Word. With the tagline, "Designed for the dinner table," this lead magnet captures a core desire of parents in this area: a moment of togetherness amidst crazy schedules.
With strong SEO, we drive traffic to the website, capture emails using the lead magnet, and communicate regularly with prospects via email: driving them to social media when appropriate.
Logo
- Groundwork: Living Stone's 12-week Bible Basics course
- Fieldwork: Living Stone's 4-week Discipleship & Outreach course
- Navigation: Living Stone's mid-week, small-group Bible studies
- Monday Minute: Pastor Jeremy's weekly email devotion
- Living Stone Kids: Regular children's programming (Toddler Time & Kids Church)
Copywriting
Living Stone's tone is friendly, warm, and inviting. We avoid being overly enthusiastic or "sales-y," keeping exclamation points to a minimum. We also avoid using what could be considered religious "jargon," instead translating this terminology into accessible language for individuals newer to Christianity. The reader should feel as though they are receiving a genuine, casual message from a close friend via email or text.
Our imagery reflects the community of Arvada and its values. We often use language that evokes pictures of outdoor activities (Example: solid, built up, rooted, path, journey, growth). We also use language that evokes pictures of family and community (Example: together, team, gather, join, connect, neighbor, shared, common).
Website
The goal for the Living Stone website was to make information easily accessible for new visitors to learn more about the church. With strong SEO, it was also important that we capture contact information as prospects found the site. We chose to use a dark theme, with soft edges and animated elements throughout.
Be sure to check out the promotional video Living Stone had commissioned for their "Step One" page!
Print Designs
After their rebrand, Living Stone needed quite a few print designs created including business cards, Connect Cards, new visitor handouts, a pop-up tent, and materials for their annual Live Nativity. Most notable is their business card design, which features a perforated portion that encourages easy outreach for any member of the congregation.
SHEPHERD OF THE VALLEY | SURPRISE, ARIZONA
Client Goals
- New Website: Their website at the time was hosted on FinalWeb. It was difficult to update and it was not optimized for search.
- Rebrand: Create a new logo more relevant to the growth of the area.
Approach
Shepherd of the Valley needed a refreshed brand and a user-friendly website platform. Their audience in Surprise, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix, predominantly contains young families. It was my goal to create something that spoke a little more clearly to that demographic as SOTV continued to reach out to their community.
Logo
