The Ground
The Ground is a growing ecosystem of destinations in Oregon's Willamette Valley, centered around regenerative agriculture, food and hospitality. Part farm, part place, part philosophy, its ever-evolving collection of destinations and experiences presented a unique challenge: how to make something this expansive feel clear, connected and easy to explore.
Role: Senior Strategist
Helped define the relationship between The Ground and its growing portfolio of sub-brands
Developed brand narrative, messaging architecture and content strategy across parent/sub-brands
Programmed the property-wide wayfinding system and standardized signage rules
Helped translate brand intent into guest-facing physical experiences
Selected Writings
The Ground needed a voice flexible enough to move from farm to restaurant to overnight stay while still feeling part of the same world. My work spanned brand narrative and messaging that made the ecosystem easier to understand and navigate.
finding the middle ground
The Ground needed to operate as both a collective and a collection. A traditional house of brands created too much distance from the growing parent brand, while a fully branded-house approach left too little room for individual destinations to develop their own identities.
Generating a hybrid framework, we landed on middle ground of endorsed sub-brands that serves to increase the recognition of their trusted parent company while uplifting and connecting their established and sought-after sub-brands and facilitating future additions
A philosophy of interconnection
The question “What is The Ground?” didn't have a simple answer and trying to explain everything at once only made it harder to comprehend.
We created clear entry points through Lodging, Market, Farm, Food and Events, allowing people to enter The Ground through what interested them and discover the broader ecosystem over time.
Loving hospitality
Once lines were drawn, we carried the new rules throughout the parent company and sub-brands, fortifying their interconnection through web, print, design, and versed vernacular. Our team also went to work creating website architecture, brand usage guidelines, a signage system to be used universally across multiple properties and locations, email communications, swag, custom illustrations and a pocket map to provide a cohesive visual to assist guests as they explored The Ground’s many offerings.
Making the System Navigable
The same clarity needed to extend into the physical experience across an expanding network of destinations, properties and trails. A universal wayfinding system helped guests understand where they were, where they were going and how each place connected to the larger Ground ecosystem.
Standardized rules across sign types and families created consistency at the system level, while allowing individual destinations to remain distinct.
Connecting Farm, Food and People
The result is a brand and experience system that makes The Ground's complexity feel intuitive, connecting a growing network of destinations while giving each room to feel distinct.
More importantly, the system is designed to evolve. New places and experiences can be added while maintaining the connective thread that makes them an interconnected part of The Ground.
Collaborators
Creative Director: Jennifer Bryan
Art Director/Lead Designer: Danielle Breck
Senior Designer: Keri Bonn, Bre Tauscher
All work produced under the direction of Think Joule.
Photo credits: The Ground, Gregor Halenda Photography, Think Joule. Please inquire for individual images.