Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation—Heritage Reclaimed for Rondo Community.
Vicity Designs partnered with the Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) to brand their powerful Reclaim Rondo campaign — a community-led initiative to restore the legacy of St. Paul’s historic Rondo neighborhood. Through research, collaboration, and design, we created a cohesive visual identity that honored Rondo’s past while empowering its future. The result was a unifying, story-driven brand that mobilized residents, donors, and community leaders to engage, invest, and take part in reclaiming a vibrant cultural legacy.
Aurora St. Anthony NDC:
Heritage Reclaimed for Rondo Community.
The Protagonist: Rondo & It's People.
Aurora St. Anthony Neighborhood Development Corporation (ASANDC) is a non-profit, community-based organization that holds the mission to empower, stabilize and revitalize the Rondo community. They work in tandem with families, residents, local businesses, government agencies, and other organizations to create positive change within St. Paul’s diverse communities. ASANDC plays a vital role in advocating and implementing initiatives that promote socioeconomic health with a focus on home ownership, neighborhood development, start-up workshops and funding, social justice education and wellness.
The Process: Collaboration & Historical Context
I collaborated with ASANDC’s executive director and marketing team on a comprehensive project to develop branding for the Reclaim Rondo campaign and design materials for community outreach and donor engagement. We delved into the rich history of Rondo through extensive research to decipher the context of campaign’s direction to better deliver a cohesive message and visual identity that encapsulated the essence of this initiative.
The Story & Results: Reclaim Rondo
The Reclaim Rondo initiative is a community-led effort to heal, restore and preserve the historical neighborhood of Rondo. This once vibrant community was largely destroyed in the late 1950s due to the construction of I-94, which divided the neighborhood and displaced thousands of residents, resulting in economic turmoil. ASANDC’s Reclaim Rondo initiative sought to address the historical injustices faced by the Rondo community and reclaim the neighborhood’s cultural heritage. The Reclaim Rondo campaign aims to promote economic development, affordable housing, and community empowerment while honoring the memory of the neighborhood’s past.
Upon assessment, we found that ASANDC needed more adaptability and uniformity within their branding. By refreshing their logo to include style variations and incorporating their existing palette across campaign materials, we succeeded in solidifying the coherence of this campaign. The completed collateral invites residents to participate in reclaiming Rondo’s heritage, a call that connects with donors, stakeholders, community leaders and activists alike. The branded campaign is informative, embracing, and sparks interest.