Change the Wave: Brand Strategy & Web Design

Holland, Michigan sits on the edge of Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan—but for many residents, the city’s waterfront remains out of reach. A long history of environmental degradation, limited public access, and industrial land use has created a divide between the shoreline and the community it borders. Recent redevelopment efforts—like the Waterfront Holland Initiative—promised revitalization, but lacked transparency and public involvement. Most decisions were driven by private developers, city planners, and consultants, leaving many residents without a seat at the table.

Change the Wave emerged as a local movement calling for public accountability, environmental justice, and inclusive design. But like many grassroots coalitions, the group lacked a cohesive identity and had no central digital presence to educate, organize, and mobilize supporters.

The challenge was twofold: create a brand that felt deeply local and people-powered, and design a website that could act as both an educational tool and an organizing platform—capable of translating policy critique into public participation.

I began with a research-backed brand strategy, pulling from empathy interviews, ethnographic site visits, and historical analysis of Holland’s development patterns. I positioned the brand around clarity, equity, and place-based identity—infusing the visual language with elements of movement, shoreline symbolism, and community voice.

Visually, I created a bold, modern identity that reflected both urgency and care. The color palette drew from natural lake tones with saturated accents to signal action. Typography choices favored legibility and warmth. These assets came together across digital and print materials to support local events, flyers, and coalition organizing.

The website itself was designed to function as a central hub for education, story-sharing, and action. The content strategy highlighted accessible explainer content about land use, environmental impact, and the city’s waterfront redevelopment plans—translated into plain language for the general public. Calls to action were embedded throughout, connecting users to petitions, town hall events, and volunteer opportunities. Behind the scenes, I structured the site to be easy for organizers to update, ensuring long-term use and growth.

The final product gave Change the Wave a clear, consistent, and trustworthy platform—turning complex civic issues into approachable narratives, and offering the tools for residents to not just learn about the shoreline, but fight for their right to access and shape it.