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CASE STUDY

Building the HC3 Brand

Partner: Geneseo Healthy Campus and Community Coalition

Challange

Two communities — a college and the town around it — had developed real distrust of each other. That distrust was getting in the way of something the coalition actually needed to do: reduce high-risk behavior around substance use. You can't address that kind of problem without a functioning relationship between the people involved.

Strategy

The ask started as a rebrand. The first discovery session made clear it was something bigger.

A small group of passionate people had inherited a defunct organization. They had mission. They didn't have infrastructure. Before any visual work could hold, they needed a shared foundation: language, goals, and a reason for both the campus and the community to trust what they were building.

I ran two brand workshops and a hero's tale workshop with board members and key stakeholders. Alongside those, I distributed community surveys to get outside the room. Together, those inputs shaped not just the visuals but how the organization understood its own purpose and what it was asking people to believe about it.

The design system that came out of that process gave the coalition consistent messaging, visuals, and a brand language they could actually use.

Identity

The new name, HC3, does real work. The speech bubble mark makes the concept literal without making it small: communication, connection, communities coming together. Bold and direct type keeps it grounded. Blue, teal, and green signal trust without leaning on cliche.

The system is built to travel. Friendly enough to reach people. Clear enough to mean something.

My Role

Strategy, Facilitation, Creative Direction, Design

Collaborators: Shelly Wolanske Hc3 Coordinator, various SUNY Geneseo Health and Counseling, SUNY Geneseo Title IX, Geneseo Police and Fire Departments, Geneseo Central School District, Geneseo Community Members, SUNY Geneseo Students, Local Business Owners

*currently in Lakeville, NY

The logo for Geneseo Healthy Campus and Community Coalition, featuring a green 'H' and a blue 'c3' where the 'c' is shaped like a speech bubble, alongside the full blue text of the coalition name, all displayed on a white textured background.
Hc3 Logo After Rebrand
Several sheets of paper with handwritten notes, likely related to user personas or project planning, laid out on a dark surface. The top sheet details a persona named 'Brandon' with background information. A lower sheet outlines 'Goals' (med school, make the most of college), 'Challenges' (anxious/school pressures, peer pressure), and 'What can we do?' (provide resources, be present/visible, help establish autonomy).
Persona's Completed by Stakeholders
An open white and green folder or brochure titled 'PARTY SMART' on a dark grey surface. The left side of the folder displays a green and blue logo 'Hc3', and sections for 'VISION' and 'MISSION' with text. The right side contains a grid of advice under the 'PARTY SMART' heading, including topics like 'CHECK FIRST', 'COMMUNICATE', 'SOBER HOST', 'HOUSE RULES', 'SOCIAL HOST LAW', 'END TIME', 'INSIDE ONLY', 'TRAINING', and 'ALCOHOL POISONING'. The bottom right pocket of the folder is green and holds a white card with the text 'BE POSITIVE, PATIENT, AND PERSISTENT.'
Information Folder
Two pieces of white letterhead paper featuring the green and blue 'Hc3' logo for Geneseo Healthy Communities and Community Coalition in the upper left. The top right of the paper has overlapping light blue and green speech bubble shapes. The bottom of the paper has a dark blue band displaying 'www.geneseohc3.com' and 'info@geneseohc3.com'. The papers are presented on a light gray background.
Letterhead
A white sign with a green speech bubble at the top that reads 'PROUD SUPPORTER'. Below that, in larger font, is 'Hc3' with the 'c' formed by a blue speech bubble containing the number 3. To the right of 'Hc3' is smaller text that reads 'Geneseo Healthy Campus and Community Coalition'. A blue strip runs along the bottom of the sign. The sign is angled against a muted, out-of-focus background, casting a shadow.
Window Decal for Local Businesses
Three informational door hangers are displayed, overlapping slightly. Each is blue and white with green and yellow sections. The main title on the central hanger reads '9 LAWS YOU SHOULD KNOW.' The two outer hangers have 'Party Smart' at the top. The hangers list various laws and advice for responsible party hosting, covering topics such as serving minors, open containers, fake IDs, disorderly conduct, social host laws, unlawful noise, nuisance houses, operating under the influence, and failing to disperse. Each law is numbered and includes potential fines or penalties. The bottom of the hangers features 'H23 Hc3' logos and the slogan 'Be a safe, responsible, and respectful neighbor.'
Door Hangers
Multiple colorful flyers promoting healthy choices for students are displayed on a dark surface. Each flyer features a photo of a young person, a speech bubble with a question about decision-making (e.g., 'Who decides IF YOU SHOULD SMOKE POT?', 'Who decides WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH ALCOHOL?', 'Who decides THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES WITH BEING WASTED?'), and the answer 'You decide!' followed by statistics. The flyers share a consistent design with blue, green, and white elements, and an 'Hc3' logo for the Healthy Campus and Community Coalition.
Who Decides Campaign Postcards
A person wearing a white t-shirt with a logo and text. The logo on the left features a large green 'H' followed by a light blue 'c' shaped like a speech bubble, and then a light blue '3'. To the right of the logo, the words 'Healthy Campus and Community Coalition' are printed in dark blue text, stacked on three lines. The person's neck and shoulders are visible against a light blue background.
Hc3 T-shirt
A white paper document titled 'HC3's Hero's Tale' outlining a four-act narrative structure. The acts are 'Answering The Call / Taking The First Step', 'Encountering The Challenge', 'Transformation', and 'The Return Home'. Each act contains bulleted questions, with several questions highlighted in yellow. The document is heavily annotated with handwritten notes, sketches, underlines, and circles in blue and black ink, suggesting a brainstorming or working draft.
Hero's Tale Workshop Notes
A white brand guidelines booklet titled 'OUR BRAND GUIDELINES AND VISUAL IDENTITY' with 'OUR BRAND' in blue, 'GUIDELINES' in white on a green speech bubble, and 'AND VISUAL IDENTITY' in light blue. The bottom left features the Hc3 logo in green and blue, with 'Healthy Campus and Community Coalition' below it. The booklet rests diagonally on a dark gray, textured surface.
Hc3 Brand Guidelines Book
A close-up of two cards. The top card features the quote 'EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE BY ALWAYS EXPANDING YOUR COMMUNITY.' 'KNOWLEDGE' is prominently displayed in white text within a light blue speech bubble, while 'COMMUNITY' is in dark blue text. The card has a dark blue border at the bottom. Below it, a second card is partially visible, showing a green 'H' and part of a blue speech bubble.
Business Card Close-up
Ten white cards are spread across a dark grey surface. Nine cards feature motivational quotes with key words highlighted in green or blue speech bubble shapes, such as 'WHEN I CAME HERE, I WAS LOOKING FOR A COMMUNITY THEN I REALIZED I WAS GOING TO CREATE ONE' and 'WE CAN DO MORE WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER'. The tenth card, in the foreground, displays the logo 'Hc3' in green and blue, with 'Geneseo Healthy Campus and Community Coalition' written below it.
Variable Business Cards with Inspirational Quotes
A white mug with a green 'H' and blue 'c3' logo, below which reads 'Healthy Campus and Community Coalition' in smaller text, all set against a light blue background.
Mug Giveaway
Two flyers displayed side-by-side on a dark gray surface. The flyer on the left, titled 'IF THEY HAD KNOWN', features an image of a pill bottle with white pills and a photo of a young man named Clay Soper, advertising a documentary about the risks of party culture. The flyer on the right, titled 'The Unbiased Truth MARIJUANA, ALCOHOL & OPIOIDS', features a photo of Kevin P. Hill, MD, and promotes a talk on substance abuse. Both flyers detail event times and locations and display the Hc3 logo.
Hc3 Event Flyers with Design Style and Footer
Three informational posters are displayed on a grey wall. From left to right, the first poster is titled '9 LAWS YOU SHOULD KNOW', detailing various regulations. The middle poster is titled 'RENTING?', outlining what tenants should know and their responsibilities. The third poster is titled 'PARTY SMART', offering advice on responsible partying. A person is blurred in motion walking past the posters, with their back to the viewer.
Posters put up on Campus and in Apartments
A green speech bubble sticker with white text that reads 'Who decides... You decide!' and a small H3 logo in blue and green, placed on the white palm rest of a laptop. The keyboard is partially visible at the top, and a dark, textured surface is in the background.
Who Decides Sticker Giveaway
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I’m working on a balance between the things that make me happy: family, giving back, and creative strategy. Like most people I only have 24 hours a day, that doesn’t leave time for everything, sorry Facebook.

Michael Ward ➤ Brand Strategist ➤ Creative Director ➤ Ethical AI Advocate ➤ Designer ➤ Design Thinker ➤ Branding Consultant ➤ Accessibility Specialist ➤ Renaissance Man ➤ Currently in Lakeville, NY ➤
Michael Ward ➤ Brand Strategist ➤ Creative Director ➤ Ethical AI Advocate ➤ Designer ➤ Design Thinker ➤ Branding Consultant ➤ Accessibility Specialist ➤ Renaissance Man ➤ Currently in Lakeville, NY ➤
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