HomeEd
Challenge
Capturing HomeEd’s progressive vision
For more than 40 years, HomeEd has provided Edmontonians with affordable and welcoming places to live. Hundreds of families and workers live in their rental units to gain a sense of safety, belonging, and community.
However, it was time to evolve HomeEd’s brand and website to align with their progressive vision. They had big ambitions to become Edmonton’s top provider of affordable housing. HomeEd needed a well-crafted visual identity, messaging, and online presence to better connect with potential residents and government stakeholders.
Services
Solution
Strategic insight from stakeholders
Before revamping HomeEd’s brand and website, we wanted to gain a deep understanding of their purpose and impact in the community. Our team met with HomeEd’s leadership team and board of directors to find out what was successful about their current digital marketing efforts and what needed to improve.
For their brand, we explored HomeEd’s audience pain points and desires, their competitive landscape, the meaning behind their logo and visuals, and the inner workings of their brand personality and voice. For their website, we discussed their users’ needs, accessibility and functionality requirements, and what content was most important to feature. These conversations guided all of our work, allowing us to produce digital marketing solutions that met HomeEd’s true needs.
A brand identity that inspires hope
For the logo and visual identity, the structurally sound lines evoke the look of the apartments and townhomes found in HomeEd’s communities. The bold typefaces give an air of empathy and warmth, while the sky blue and orange colours convey sincerity and optimism.
When it came to the brand language, we highlighted HomeEd’s mission of providing Edmontonians with hope for a better tomorrow. Because when you have a home, you can build a foundation for connection and growth. This inspired the tagline, “Built for belonging”. Our brand messaging spoke to the heart of how HomeEd helps local families and workers thrive.
An inviting and accessible website design
When creating HomeEd’s new website, we wanted it to align with their forward-thinking brand experience while shaping a user-friendly design. The main goal was to make it as easy as possible for potential residents to find rentals online. The website also needed to convey HomeEd’s inspiring mission in a compelling and clear way.
Because of this, user experience design was a significant focus for this project:
Information architecture (IA): Pages categorized by need and content prioritized by what users seek out the most
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) AA: Colour contrast for design elements and descriptive labels for screen readers
Responsive design: Well-considered and intentional layout so that the mobile experience is as effective as the desktop experience
Rental map system: Interactive functionality for users to easily explore and choose a home they love
Solid search engine optimization: Keyword research and technical set-up to drive organic traffic and leads on the website
Results
Inspiring a better future for Edmontonians
Now, HomeEd is well on their way to becoming Edmonton’s top affordable housing provider. Their new brand presents an attractive image in all of their marketing, while their website has simplified the rental process for residents. HomeEd continues to grow their portfolio of properties and expand access to affordable housing across the city.