This month, The George Gund Foundation announced the launch of their new website, which was designed by N+S to highlight the annual theme, “Refugees and Immigrants.”

The launch marked not only a new graphic look for the Foundation, but a new digital strategy and brand—a first for the Foundation. Beginning this year, N+S will work with the Foundation annually to reimagine its website to reflect the theme. The site, which includes guidelines, procedures, and key information for grantees, will be entirely recast. This approach to nonprofit web design is entirely novel, and will allow for a flexible, innovative digital strategy that drives new traffic channels and extends the reach of the Foundation.

The strategy was a reaction to years of producing a separate site for the annual report, which we observed drew visitors for two to three months before traffic would drop off. The amount of work going into the commission of the artists, the annual theme, and the creation of the report’s independent site felt out of balance with the results it was producing and the potential of the product. With the Foundation’s main website in need of a redesign, the opportunity arose to completely reenvision the function of this annual work and to use it as a catalyst to drive the Foundation’s audience to confront and engage with the annual theme.

The site also features a new brand identity, which we designed for The George Gund Foundation. Accented by a contemporary color palette and bold typography, the new logo visually suggests how the organization helps to build a stronger community. We have applied the new mark to the Foundation’s business papers and signage, which are currently in production.

Our work with the Foundation has become a seminal annual project that is rooted in fine art photography and the City of Cleveland, and we’re excited to see our partnership evolve in this new, strategic way.