Creating the East Side Avenues Identity and Website
// BACKGROUND //
Buffalo’s East Side has received a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity in the form of a $65 million dollar investment from New York State and private and philanthropic funders. The funds are to be disbursed to achieve maximum impact along four key commercial corridors, with an intended watershed effect throughout the surrounding neighborhoods.
An investment of this caliber requires thoughtful communication to a significant number of audiences. It was determined that the initiative should be individually branded, allowing for clear communication about the specific programs—five separate initiatives each threaded throughout the four commercial corridors, with milestones communicated meaningfully to five separate audiences.
The University at Buffalo Regional Institute (UBRI) was selected to allocate the funding and act as a centralized resource for initiative communications and they engaged Riveter Design.
// AUDIENCE //
Elements developed within this initiative were required to appropriately address five distinct audiences with varying interests.
Funders
communicating the profound impact of their investment through the voice of the community
Small Business Owners
communicating the future benefits of the investment to those currently operating on the East Side and those who are ripe for relocation to the East Side
East Side Residents and Employees
communicating the radiating effects the initiative will have throughout the community
Grantees
communicating and promoting the hard work and value of the direct benefactors of the investment, and empowering them in partnership with the funders
Anchor Businesses
// APPROACH //
Naming
“East Side Avenues” refers to the four major East Side commercial corridors—Bailey, Fillmore, Jefferson, and Michigan Avenues—where the investment is focused. “Avenue” is defined as “a way of approaching a problem or making progress toward something.” The name and tagline simply and elegantly express the purpose of the initiative to create a path forward for the neighborhoods to prosper.
Identity Development
Visual System Development
Video Series
Website Development
Our goal for eastsideavenues.org was to create a smooth exploration experience that simplifies the projects and goals of the initiative, while also highlighting the excitement of the program through storytelling. Style concepts pick up the color and visual pattern established in the identity of the project and photography used throughout the site showcases Buffalo’s East Side. An interactive map displays the four main avenues that make up the East Side, and rollover features target each investment area as a way to engage and educate the user. An overview video features some of the faces of the East Side, speaks to the initiative and the excitement Buffalo’s East Side is experiencing.
// RESULTS //
“East Side Avenues”
has been fully embraced—it is exclusively what the initiative is referred to and how it is communicated to all target audiences and to the general public. It is used in every aspect of communications regarding the initiative including a digital presence, media releases and coverage, and print and digital collateral and has been widely covered in the media.
is a welcoming visitor experience and is a
strong storytelling asset.