The Challenge
Long-range transportation planning is essential — and notoriously hard to make people care about. Envision 2050 asked Polk County residents to weigh in on decisions about roads, transit, trails, and safety that wouldn't fully materialize for decades. The source material was technical, the timeline abstract, and public attention limited.
The task: translate a dense, data-heavy planning process into a clear, human narrative that would earn trust, invite participation, and hold together across every channel and stakeholder.
The Strategy
Working alongside the Polk Transportation Planning Organization and Polk County Government, I built the communications foundation the campaign would stand on — a single, recognizable brand and a messaging framework that made technical content feel approachable.
- Unified brand identity. One cohesive visual system — logo, color, and typography — so every touchpoint read as Envision 2050 at a glance.
- Plain-language messaging framework. A consistent way to explain complex planning concepts without jargon, keeping residents at the center.
- Multi-channel engagement plan. A coordinated presence across social, print, live-streamed events, and the campaign website.
- Stakeholder alignment. Clear standards that kept consultants, staff, and partners communicating with one voice.
The Execution
From there I led the campaign into the world: designing outreach materials that echoed community voices, producing social graphics and event headers, coordinating live-streamed public meetings, and keeping the campaign website and messaging consistent as the plan evolved. Every asset was built to lower the barrier to participation and reinforce the same story.
Great planning only works when people can see themselves in it — my job was to make the future of mobility in Polk County feel like something residents helped shape.
