Too often, cities create new brands for departments or initiatives or that don’t relate to each other or to the city as a whole. While we had the immediate task of developing a brand for the Midtown District, to do that properly we had to take the first steps toward a citywide branding initiative — one that looks across all city government departments and examines Santa Fe the place as well as Santa Fe the city.
This phase started with hour long 1-on-1 interviews with each city department leader and Mayor Alan Webber, as well as a full day branding workshop with all senior city staff.
Midtown is a city-owned, 64-acre campus that used to be a college and still has an active film production studio. The campus will be redeveloped to be a multi-use district in the heart of Santa Fe. We toured the city and campus and worked with Economic Development staff to define a messaging strategy for Midtown. No longer to be called the “midtown project” or “midtown campus,” it should be referred to as the Midtown District — a neighborhood and thriving new center of activity for Santa Feans.
The district’s visual identity speaks to the rich culture and landscape of the city, and feels undeniably Santa Fe while at the same time feeling fresh and new in order to cultivate an environment of innovation and creativity. We created a logo that changes, as the district will be an ever-changing and dynamic neighborhood. The shapes and colors speak to Santa Fe’s natural environment.
The website was designed to inspire and showcase the future and potential of the district. It has multiple audiences, including residents, developers, higher education institutions and businesses. The website speaks to the vision of the district while providing a timeline and details to keep everyone informed of the current state and next steps.
