The Challenge
Avenue Boston had a name, a founding pastor, and a June fundraising deadline. It did not have a logo, a website, or any visual identity at all. Boston is a city of institutions and startups where first impressions carry weight, and a church plant has to look credible before it has a reputation to stand on.
The reference points Caleb brought to the first call were all about restraint: bold, minimal, white on black, nothing overworked. Restraint has a failure mode, though. Marks that aim for simple usually land on plain, and plain is not distinct. The identity had to be simple and unmistakable at the same time, and it had to hold up on Instagram, on a hoodie, on a sign, and on a fundraising one-pager.
Avenue Boston
Full brand system for a church plant launching in Boston, built around a custom wordmark that scales down to a single letter, with a landing page live ahead of the June fundraising launch.
The Solution
Avenue Boston had a name, a founding pastor, and a June fundraising deadline. It did not have a logo, a website, or any visual identity at all. Boston is a city of institutions and startups where first impressions carry weight, and a church plant has to look credible before it has a reputation to stand on.
The reference points Caleb brought to the first call were all about restraint: bold, minimal, white on black, nothing overworked. Restraint has a failure mode, though. Marks that aim for simple usually land on plain, and plain is not distinct. The identity had to be simple and unmistakable at the same time, and it had to hold up on Instagram, on a hoodie, on a sign, and on a fundraising one-pager.
The Result
Avenue Boston went into its June fundraising launch with a finished logo and a live page to point people to, rather than a name and a promise. The guidelines document gives the team a reference they can hand to anyone who touches the brand, which is what keeps a young identity from drifting in its first year.
The engagement continues past delivery. Sullivan Design stays on as Avenue's creative partner through a monthly retainer, covering series artwork, event and campaign design, print collateral, and website updates as the church grows.
