Historic
Hudson Valley
Successful branding of this non-profit educational organization and its eight historically significant sites in the Hudson River Valley in upstate New York.
About the project
For over ten years I collaborated with Historic Hudson Valley (HHV) to create numerous prototype print pieces: magazines, newsletters, invitations, and membership brochures.
Overview
HHV is a non-profit educational organization and a leader in historic preservation and interpretation of the Hudson River Valley in Upstate New York. Founded by the Rockefeller Brother’s Fund, HHV is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. At the time, HHV was a museum with eight historically significant sites containing buildings, landscapes, and collections.
Innovative Design Solutions
I designed each magazine, newsletter, invitation, and membership brochure as a distinctive piece. I created flexible formats that were displayed in racks, handed out and mailed out. My goal was to create inviting pieces that motivated a reader to act: to attend an event, enroll in a class or a school program, visit a historic site, and become an HHV member.
Roles
Lead Designer, Branding, Creative Director, Production Supervisor, Printer Liaison, Project Management
Team
Christine Hauck, Lead Designer; Wadell Smith, Director of Historic Hudson Valley, McKelden Smith, Marketing Director; Burns Patterson, Publicity Director, Ross Higgins, School Programs Director
Key Projects
I treated each HHV historical site as a connected brand and each site had its own prototype brochure. I frequently met with curators to photograph or select photography to use in pieces that highlighted each historical site’s unique features. The brochure’s cover image was often a pulled back photo and invited visitors in to explore the site.
For HHV’s Membership Brochure, I created two illustrated maps which identified HHV’s eight historical sites and their highlights, each site’s proximity to the Hudson River and to each other. Interested visitors were encouraged to explore all of the HHV sites.
For HHV’s Kykuit Brochure, I photographed the Rockefeller’s gate as it swings open. Next, Tigerhill Studio’s glamourous bird’s eye view photo of Kykuit as its gatefold image opening into the site. Inside, a rendering of the Rockefeller’s Crest and a HABS architectural rendering of the Kykuit site plan reads behind featured images from the private Rockefeller collection.
For HHV’s Montgomery Place Brochure, I highlighted its architectural gems like the gazebo, its collection, and unusual landscape. Inside, a HABS rendering of Montgomery Place highlights other features of the site.
For HHV’s School Programs Brochure, I selected black and white archival imagery that matched each program and enlivened each page. The brochure was educational and fun to read! Its popular design is the reason why the HHV School Programs sold out each year.
HHV’s Member Newsletter, shifted from 2-color to 4-color and from print to online distribution. To highlight current news and future events, floating sidebars and quotations were designed. The perks of the HHV Membership were underscored to encourage new members to join.