Belong in Baldwin
Belong in Baldwin was a project for the Baldwin County Economic Development Alliance. Baldwin County, Alabama has been one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, but a lot of local college grads still leave for bigger cities without realizing what's actually available at home. The brand needed to make the case that you don't have to leave to build something good.
This one was personal for me; I grew up in Baldwin County, moved away for a while, and eventually came back. I worked with our associate creative director, Liz, on the logo, then led the rest of the system: layout, illustration, patterns, and merch concepts. The goal was a brand that felt optimistic and local rather than official; something people would actually want to put on a hat or a sticker, not just a logo on a government website.
Senior Graphic Designer - Brand & Illustration
My Role
A Brand People Can Be Proud Of
From the start, the goal wasn’t just to create an economic development brand, it was to create something people would actually feel proud of. We wanted Belong in Baldwin to feel approachable, optimistic, and wearable, giving locals something they could genuinely identify with and stand behind.
Every visual decision, from the logo to the illustration style and patterns, was made with real-world application in mind. If the brand could live comfortably on a hat, a sticker, or a t-shirt, it meant it was doing its job, creating something authentic, local, and human rather than institutional.
