Smokin’ Brand Building

Crafting a style guide for a BBQ fundraiser with an pre-established brand.

Project Date: Fall 2024

Role: Graphic and Visual Design Lead

Project Overview: Our project aimed to establish brand standards for the Grillin’ for Healing (GFH) website and style guide, ensuring consistency across all aspects of the event’s promotion. Although GFH is a well-established fundraiser supporting the Hearts & Hands Clinic in Bulloch County, it lacked a defined brand presence or dedicated website. Promotion has primarily relied on Facebook and word of mouth.

The Problem:

To address this, our Capstone team collaborated with GFH board members to create branding guidelines, a cohesive voice, and a Design System document to support future initiatives. After discovering no existing style guide, we gathered materials, refined their branding elements, and aligned on specifications for logos, colors, fonts, tone, and messaging. Our ultimate goal is to deliver a functional website by the project’s conclusion, providing a foundation for GFH’s continued growth.

The Solution: As the design lead for the Grillin’ for Healing (GFH) project, I worked to establish a cohesive design system for this well-loved community fundraiser, which lacked defined brand assets.

Designing within a bit of an informal brand means finding the right balance between respecting its established vibe and adding some professional consistency. GFH had a well-known name and community presence but didn’t have formal guidelines for logos, colors, fonts, and tone. My job was to make sure all these elements fit together into a cohesive design system that honored their history while setting the stage for future growth.

To make sure we’re being inclusive, I added an accessibility checker chart to the color palette selection process. This tool helped assess contrast ratios and color combos for readability and ADA compliance, which is super important for a nonprofit wanting to connect with a variety of audiences. The final palette ended up balancing visual appeal with practical usability.

Results A cohesive design system not only enhances the nonprofit’s professional image but also builds trust with sponsors, donors, and the community. GFH can now confidently produce promotional materials and website updates that align with their brand, ensuring a unified message across all channels.

By formalizing GFH’s visual identity and accessibility standards, this project has equipped the organization with tools to sustain its impact and broaden its reach while honoring its community roots.