case study

BWG Economic Development Branding and Website Redesign

Located just minutes from Greater Toronto, Bradford West Gwillimbury (BWG) is a thriving hub for innovative economic activity across a wide range of sectors. This progressive and dynamic community welcomes investment and growth, offering prime opportunities for businesses and residents alike.

However, BWG had long remained underrecognized. Despite its strategic proximity to major highway networks, ample ready-to-develop land for commercial and industrial projects, and safe, family-friendly neighborhoods, businesses and residents from the Greater Toronto Area had yet to fully capitalize on its potential.

To bridge this gap, BWG needed to amplify its presence and showcase not only its prime location but also the comprehensive support systems available through the Office of Economic Development, which would allow businesses to establish themselves and thrive in the community.

The first step in BWG’s transformation was creating a new brand identity through a collaborative effort with other designers. This identity needed to reflect the community’s core values. The official name was streamlined to BWG, and a tagline—Build. Work. Grow.—was developed, with each word reinforcing a key aspect of the region’s strengths. To further emphasize BWG as a prime location, a bold red map pin icon was incorporated into the brand.

The new identity was supported by clean, professional collateral and print materials, including an Investment Guide, a Lure Piece, posters, infographics, advertising video campaigns, and smaller promotional items like rack cards. Custom on-site photography and drone footage were used to highlight BWG’s strategic advantages for business, residential, and industrial growth.

To further support the new brand, the existing economic development website was completely rebuilt. The redesigned site maintained visual consistency with the updated print materials while improving efficiency, responsiveness, and accessibility. It served as a comprehensive resource for businesses, offering essential information and tools to facilitate investment and growth. Once launched, the BWG team managed and expanded the site to adapt to the area’s evolving needs, enabling the Economic Development Office to both share critical resources and gather data to better connect businesses with the support they required.

This was a long-term project that unfolded over several years, providing a valuable learning experience. I had the opportunity to compete with other designers for the brand identity, and while the final selection wasn’t one of my concepts, the process allowed me to measure my skills against more experienced designers and gain valuable insights from their work.

Beyond the brand identity, I was responsible for nearly all other design elements, including print materials, digital assets, and the website. And while I take pride in my design work, it was the outstanding photography that truly elevated the final products. I had the privilege of collaborating with two exceptional professionals: Stephen Wild (photography, retouching) and Richard Yagutilov (photography, videography, drone videography). Their expertise played a crucial role in bringing the project to life.