Financial Coaching to Grow Your Future
Client
Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center
Services
Branding
Graphic Design
Branding a financial counseling program to empower residents in achieving financial stability and growth.
Overview
The City of Gaithersburg launched its Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) in March 2022, offering free, one-on-one financial counseling to city residents. The Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center branding campaign was essential in establishing a distinct yet consistent identity for the program. The program, a partnership with the City and Housing Initiative Partnership Inc., provides support for reducing debt, improving credit, increasing savings, and accessing safe banking options. While the core FEC branding was provided, the City required a tailored campaign to differentiate its local program while maintaining brand consistency.
I was responsible for the complete branding of the campaign and all marketing materials. My goal was to create a visually recognizable identity that distinguished Gaithersburg’s FEC from other city programs while aligning with the overarching brand guidelines. The Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center branding ensured that the program’s messaging and visuals resonated with the local community while maintaining credibility and trustworthiness.
Design Concept and Message
The concept centered around creating a visual identity that felt hopeful, empowering, and accessible. I chose green as the dominant color to symbolize financial growth and stability—core themes of the program. The icons and illustrations were intentionally simple and friendly, conveying that financial literacy isn’t just for experts. The visual tone was modern but warm, designed to meet residents where they are, whether they’re managing debt or planning to save.
Challenges
The main challenge was transforming complex and often intimidating financial topics into something visually inviting and easy to understand. The client wanted to reach residents from a variety of cultural and economic backgrounds, which meant the materials had to be both accessible and appealing. At the same time, the project required a careful balance between City branding, nonprofit partner branding, and a fresh visual identity that could also engage younger audiences. Abstract ideas like savings and debt needed to be translated into clear, friendly visuals. On top of that, the design system had to be adaptable across many formats—from digital screens to print handouts and event signage.
Solutions
To implement this concept effectively, I built a flexible system of visual elements—including piggy bank icons, coin jar illustrations, and circular motifs—to represent core services like savings, credit repair, and budgeting. I combined these with a clean typographic style to maintain readability across digital and print. Templates were developed to allow the City and partners to easily reuse assets for flyers, presentations, and social posts, ensuring brand consistency while reducing production time.
Two versions of the concept were developed:
Photographic Aesthetic: Used for banners, signage, flyers, and the website to convey professionalism and trustworthiness.
Illustrative Aesthetic: Applied to branded merchandise, postcards, and infographics, providing a more engaging, educational feel.
Many materials were designed in both English and Spanish to ensure accessibility.
Deliverables
- Visual Concept – Core branding elements and messaging strategy.
- A-frame Signage – Placed outside the office to direct visitors.
- Vertical Banner – Displayed at fairs and community events.
- Poster – Placed in public areas to promote the program.
- Bus Shelter Ad – Increased visibility across the city.
- Flyer – Distributed in libraries, city departments, and partner locations.
- Website Page – Integrated into the City of Gaithersburg’s official website.
- Postcard (English & Spanish) – A bilingual, side-by-side design for easy accessibility.
- T-shirt – Branded apparel for outreach events.
- Social Media Assets – Graphics for digital engagement.
- Digital Signage – Used in city facilities to raise awareness.
- Zoom Background – Branded virtual meeting background for financial counselors.
Results
The impact of the Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center branding was evident in the program’s success:
- $464,071 total dollars saved
- $1,289,146 total debt reduced
- 496 residents served
- 2,225 counseling sessions conducted
- 525 successful financial outcomes achieved*
The branding and marketing efforts successfully established a recognizable and engaging visual identity for the Gaithersburg Financial Empowerment Center, contributing to its strong community impact.
*(Data from March 2022 to June 2024)
