DESIGN
Logo + Website + Email setup
Emily worked with Franklin Prayer House to create a refreshed brand and a modern, responsive website.
Design Lead
Emily Mills
Client
Creative Process
BRIEF
Franklin Prayer House was in desperate need of a new website and visual refresh. Many community members didn’t know Franklin Prayer House existed. The director asked Emily to help create a simple website, brand, and logo that could help create familiarity and awareness.
Process
Emily met with Executive Director Ryan Hall to determine the scope of work and learn about the history, vision, brand, and desired future. The most important problem was apparent: Franklin Prayer House had an awareness problem.
- What is a house of prayer? Who is it for?
- Is it “Franklin Prayer House” or “Franklin House of Prayer?” Does it matter?
- Is this the same thing as Nashville House of Prayer?
- “I didn’t know this existed in my town!”
Even people at a meeting were using the wrong name! The biggest challenge would be to build a foundation so the brand could establish its own identity and build familiarity.
project tools
- Sketchbook + pen
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- WordPress
- BeaverBuilder
- Mailchimp
Designing the logo
Knowing Franklin Prayer House had an awareness problem, the logo needed to be memorable and clarifying. Emily sketched all the logo concepts while in the prayer room herself.
There were a a few logo concepts that stood out, but only that helped clarify the name “Franklin Prayer House.” Incorporating the acronym into the logo would help people remember the right name. We hoped people who didn’t know what the logo stood for would ask, creating an opportunity for conversation.
The old website:
Old Franklin Prayer House homepage
re-Creating the website
It had been so long since FranklinPrayerHouse.com had been updated and leadership had changed, so it needed to be rebuilt from scratch.
First, we set up FPH with a Mailchimp account to better communicate with their community and give their audience control of their communication preferences. No one wants to be stuck on a reply-all email chain!
Next, we built the site with the user in mind. Most people visiting were primarily looking for the schedule and location, so we put it on the front page under the email opt-in. Other pages briefly share about the mission, values, history, and leadership. What once was paragraphs and pages is now easy to digest and understand. The website was built with WordPress and BeaverBuilder, a drag-and-drop editor that is beginner-friendly. We wanted the website to be easy for the director or a volunteer to quickly make changes.
Franklin Prayer House’s new responsive website
We were in desperate need of a new logo and new look for our web presence. I had seen Emily's work and was so excited to work with her! She took time to listen to our vision and take note of our culture. Now we have a very recognizable logo that represents who we are and our website is simple, beautiful and reflects our values.
Emily was so collaborative and a wonderful listener. I appreciate the way she captured who we were and her creative approach to graphic design. She went above and beyond and brought options I wouldn’t have thought of on my own.
Since working with Emily, I definitely have more clarity. This was more than just a branding experience. There is a piece of our logo “the house” and it has steered us in a direction with how we communicate and what we actually want our desired outcome to be. We have seen increased engagement and an instant request for branded merch!
I was fully satisfied with our experience. I’ve told many people about our experience and I’m confident that Emily can help others not only find a look that reflects mission but a look that informs mission. So grateful for Emily. Her creativity and fresh perspective on design was so helpful to us! Thank you, thank you!