Wetaskiwin County Media Revitalization
Capstone Project
Over the course of two semesters, we collaborated with a community partner, Wetaskiwin County, on assessing, researching and designing a project fit for their needs. We concluded that the County required a media revitalization after analyzing their current elements as well as what they requested.
We are studying how to engage with a rural community. We would like to explore the best ways to distribute relevant, concise and engaging information. With this question, we wish to determine how to better disseminate information and community engagement objectives to the constituents of the County of Wetaskiwin.
In collaboration w/ Emma Skogstad
Bi-Annual Newsletter
After analyzing the previous newsletter design and discussing with our community partner, we decided to divide the newsletter into six sections. Agriculture, community, financial, recreational, services and other information. By dividing the newsletter into sections, it allows residents to easily & readily access the information they require.
We also implemented a Community Engagement section into the newsletter as a solution to the frustrations constituents expressed towards the lack of community engagement.
Branding Guidelines
We created a brand guide with many of their existing assets and some new ones. This document includes a usage guide that will serve as a reference for the community partner on the basics of using the templates.
In our deliverables to our community partner, we designed and formatted templates for the newsletter and brochures. The newsletter was one of the only communication pieces produced by the county that guaranteed to reach every household in the county. We believed this could have incredible potential for impact, so we began by planning to create a streamlined template for the communications officer to develop newsletters in the future.
Brochure Re-design
We created a new Permits brochure, updated an existing Property Tax brochure, and created another InDesign template for a generic brochure that our community partner could use.
Photo Gallery Sample
This project provided a valuable opportunity to explore a real-world design problem with an established public entity, an opportunity for which all members involved in the project expressed immense gratitude. The project explored many facets of design and provided practical problem-solving experience essential in real-world design. We faced the challenge of working with and designing for a community much unlike our own. The county of Wetaskiwin is primarily a rural country setting in central Alberta with a diverse farming community. A population of around 12,000 people (2016 census) populates the county of Wetaskiwin, which stretches from Bittern Lake on the East boundary to the Alder Flats area on the West. This practical challenge was bolstered by the previous semester’s research and a supportive and encouraging team.