NEWSLETTER 61
THIS IS OUR NEWSLETTER
RISE ABOVE THE NOISE
You've got a story worth telling. But in a world full of noise, it's easy for that story to get lost, or worse, never told at all. That's where we come in. This month, we're sharing a look at that work up close: a new name and brand we're honored to have designed, a design thinking session as story brand research, a design therapy online mastermind available for free, and the real impact this work is having on our local economy. We're glad you're part of the story!
Read more for a look at what we’ve been up to and what’s ahead.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | 06.24.26
SIMPLY GRANT
The Grant County Visitors Bureau knew something wasn't working. Their name, their logo, their whole first impression. It wasn't telling the real story of their organization anymore. Haley Anderson, Executive Director and Abby Wilkinson, Marketing Coordinator, came to us wanting a guide through that problem. We spent a day in design thinking with their team, digging into what actually makes this county special for visitors and where the old story was falling short.
From there, we gave them a plan: several name directions followed by several logo
directions, aimed at bringing all that Grant County has to offer for a full family friendly experience to the forefront. Simply Grant is the name they kept coming back to because its message is approachable and true to this place.
The logo followed the same thread. Out of the options we presented, they chose the mark rooted in a place with so much to celebrate. From there, the brand grew into subbrands representing the categories that make Grant County unique. It was so much fun to celebrate GC’s food and entertainment scene, places to visit, and people to meet!
We're grateful to have guided this process, and even more grateful to keep spreading the word through design.
If you’re curious what a partnership with us looks like, check out our design case studies and client testimonials here!
DESIGN THINKING PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | 06.01.26
DESIGN THINKING WITH RUTA 6:7
Ruta 6:7 exists to strengthen tweens and their families in their relationship with God and with each other. It's meaningful, hard work, and even the best mission can lose its way in the details sometimes. This dynamic team came to us wanting a fresh set of eyes on it, and we're glad to walk alongside them.
We launched the project with a day of design thinking together at their Grand Rapids, MI location, working through exercises that asked their team to step into the shoes of the parents and tweens they serve, and to test their ideas against real questions. Along the way, they started to notice where their message was getting lost.
A clearer picture began to take shape. Part of what needs to change comes down to design, so that the brand story is unmistakably Ruta 6:7. The brand approach needs to understand that a tween's attention isn't won by information alone, but through an intentional, engaging curriculum. From how a page is laid out to how an activity invites a family to participate together, the hope is a curriculum that feels less like homework and more like something tweens and their families build habits of engagement around.
Ruta 6:7 walked in already doing meaningful work. We're honored to jump in and partner with them to create materials with a clear brand, designed to reach even more tweens and their families.
TEAM INSPIRATION | 06.18.26
ECONOMIC GROWTH IMPACT AWARD
The Economic Growth Council has recognized Marion Design Co. for our impact on Grant County, a nod to ten years of building a business that grows right alongside the community it serves.
The award points to two things in particular: doubling our own revenue and team over the past engagement period, and the work behind the Kennedy Art Center. That project started as a vision with no building, no identity, and no audience and has turned into a working cultural institution with quarterly gallery shows, real revenue, and a full-time local director.
It's the kind of recognition that reflects what we've believed since day one: good design work and good community investment aren't separate things. They're the same project.
A DESIGN ECONOMY OF GENEROSITY | 07.08.26
DESIGN THERAPY MASTERMIND
If something's been nagging at you about your logo, your website, or the way you're telling your story, we want you to bring it to the table.
Wendy Puffer and Willie Smith are hosting a new Design Therapy Mastermind. It’s a free, live session for business decision-makers who want real, honest feedback on how their brand is actually landing with the people they're trying to reach. Bring what you're working with, and we'll talk through it together, no pitch involved.
Not ready to share your own brand yet? Come anyway. There's plenty to learn just from being in the room.
It meets every second Wednesday through the end of the year, 10 am EST. The next session is August 12th.
Register below to receive a link to join us!
GOT AN IDEA? CONNECT WITH US!
If you’ve been carrying around an idea—big or small—and you’re wondering what it might look like brought to life through design, we’d love to hear about it. We believe design is about bringing the soul of your vision to the surface and shaping it into something that moves people.
Whether you’re at the spark stage or halfway there, our process is built to listen deeply, uncover what matters most, and accelerate your idea into something tangible, meaningful, and ready to make an impact. Let’s start the conversation. Contact us at hello@mariondesign.co!
