Sunshine Gardens + Fairbanks Shores Neighborhood Group
Project Type
Logo design, icon design, vector art, graphic design, social post design, ad design, flyer design, newsletter writing
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Substack
Description
When I moved into a new house in 2022, one thing I missed about my previous address was the volunteer neighborhood association, which was very well organized and made residents feel like part of the community. I wanted to recreate that experience, so when I found a casual Facebook group for my new neighborhood, I reached out to the administrator about establishing a neighborhood organization. When the admin moved shortly afterward, I took over moderator duties and built more structure by creating a logo for the neighborhood and writing a monthly Substack newsletter featuring nonpartisan issues that impact or interest neighbors.
Though the Sunshine Gardens + Fairbanks Shores Neighborhood Group is not ready to formalize with the county, the organization has seen positive results in terms of engagement and connection. I monitor group member requests carefully to limit spam accounts and ensure only actual neighbors are approved to view and post content. Group membership has increased by 153% in the past two years, and there are still plenty of neighbors to reach. Members participate in conversations, share information, and contribute to a list of neighbor-approved business and service recommendations. As a result, members are now more familiar with their neighbors.
One neighbor even wrote me the following message: "I appreciate your efforts to bring a sense of community to our neighborhood! This was my seventh Halloween in this neighborhood, and I’ve never seen so many trick-or-treaters. I feel like it was because of the Facebook group. Keep it up. 👍🏼"
Newsletter
sample issues
Event Promotion
The informal neighborhood group doesn’t have a budget, so planning events that are free and low-cost is essential. I had a surplus of plants in my backyard and imagined others did as well, so I organized a free plant swap and promoted it via social posts and flyers with QR codes strategically placed in the most visible spots in the neighborhood. A generous neighbor offered their yard for the event space, and another printed and laminated the flyers, embodying the very spirit I’ve been hoping to cultivate.
Logo, Version 1.0
Before merging the Fairbanks Shores neighborhood with Sunshine Gardens, I leaned into the kitschiness of “Sunshine Gardens.” Vintage postcards with wavy block letters provided inspiration, and I incorporated sun and palm tree icons to represent the “sunshine” and the “gardens,” respectively.
Two years later, I chose to revamp the logo, opting for a more modern look to represent the younger people and families in the neighborhood and include Fairbanks Shores. Though more sophisticated, the logo still features the sun’s rays and the palm tree and a vacation-like color palette.
