Aug/02
Winds of Change

Fairwinds is set in one of the last great, unspoiled wilderness settings on Vancouver Island's Nanoose Bay. This 1,350 acre adult residential community sports a golf course, marina, nature trails, and 30-room waterfront hotel.

When Fairwinds approached us in January, they wanted to refresh their identity and develop a marketing campaign that would attract active adults to the location. Our first chore (okay, it wasn't a chore) was to escape city life and explore the incredible setting. Partner Blair Pocock, senior designer Bruno Madsen, writer Mary Beth McKenna, and marketing consultant Norbert Jakubke spent two days researching and interviewing staff in order to experience a true sense of the setting and what makes it so special. We collected stories, took pictures, and emerged with a vision for Fairwinds and where it will evolve in the future.

Once back in the office, we assembled everything - notes, photos, seaweed, and seashells... and began building an 'envisioning' book. This would become our reference tool that would highlight what we saw as Fairwinds' three key features: the natural setting, individuality of the homes and people, and the myriad recreational activities. We used the book to demonstrate to our client that we had captured their vision and had a comprehensive plan for how their story would be told.

As Alistair McLean tells it, we hit the mark. "I knew I'd made the right decision in selecting Fleming Design when I saw the envisioning book. It proved that they knew how to listen, comprehend, and ultimately capture our thoughts on paper."

With the envisioning book as our guideline, we began sketching out the design blueprint. We outlined all the marketing pieces we planned to create, and developed conceptual mock-ups. These rough layouts were intended as a design overview and presented our client with various layout ideas. Throughout the design process, we referred back to the envisioning book; it was particularly helpful if there was any concern about whether the design and copy encapsulated the vision.

Once designers Bruno Madsen and Niko Potton completed the design blueprint, Niko then applied the approved graphic style and approach to various applications including brochures, signage, and advertising.

As is evident from the final marketing pieces, Fairwinds' three key features are vividly demonstrated with images that will define the community for years to come. We added the visual wave effects to reflect the marine surroundings and convey the calming nature of the area.

With Fairwinds, our creative team got the rare opportunity to develop a complete design package. We found it tremendously rewarding to guide our client through the design process with ample time for conceptual research, and to begin the process with the creation of the all-important envisioning book. We expect that this book won't be collecting dust, as Fairwinds embarks on their next phase of land development. We're primed whenever they are... ready to continue to tell their story.

Back