Our goal is to partner with downtown Johnstown business and property owners to create a brand that reflects the character, sense of place, and vision for the future of downtown Johnstown, and a wayfinding plan that raises awareness of downtown Johnstown and helps people locate destinations within the downtown area.
Project Phases & Updates
- Phase 1 - Learn & Plan - Complete
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Building a brand is grounded in understanding the meaning and connection people have for a place. As the historic center of the Johnstown community, the new downtown brand needs to reflect the values, attachments, history, and sense of place embodied in the shared community downtown.
In order to understand these values, it is critical to hear from all members of the Johnstown community, using methods that provide space and time for people to talk about the things that matter most to them about Johnstown, and the community touchstones and special characteristics that define their feelings about Downtown Johnstown.
At the core of the design teams approach to community outreach is to meet people where they are, with methods that are meaningful to them. This entailed creating a variety of outreach events and communication materials tailored to different community groups and demographicsThe following Community Outreach & Data Research Summary Booklet offers an in depth summary of staff’s outreach efforts to connect with residents, visitors, and businesses and capture a set of key themes that describe what Downtown Johnstown means to them and what actions need to be taken to ensure it remains the heart of the community. For a more succinct summary please view the Community Outreach & Data Research Council Presentation which was presented on November 21, 2022 during the Town Council Meeting.
- Phase 2 - Design & Iterate - Brand Design Complete
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Staff met with the Town Council during a work session on January 23, 2023, to gather feedback on 3 preliminary brand design concepts. Per Town Council direction, Staff moved forward with 2 of the 3 brand design concepts to show to the community including residents, visitors, and businesses. During the month of February, Staff held Brand Design Week and met at various locations throughout the community to get direct feedback and votes on which brand concept people preferred. We also provided an opportunity for people to vote online through survey monkey.
On April 3, 2023 Staff will present to Council the final Downtown Brand/Logo which will be officially launched in Spring/Summer 2023. Please check back soon to view the final Downtown Brand/Logo after it is presented to Council.
- Phase 3 - Finalize & Launch - Coming Up
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This phase will begin when Phase 2 is complete. This phase is likely to begin Q2 of 2023.
Project Schedule & Deliverables
The Downtown Branding & Wayfinding Plan kicked off in June 2022 and will continue through Spring 2023. During the first project phase, we will work with the Johnstown community to create a brand identity for the historic downtown district. During the second project phase, we will use the finalized brand identity to create wayfinding designs that help direct people to the downtown district and other community amenities.
Design Process
- Create a Downtown Johnstown identity package, including a responsive logo and brand
- Design signage that helps direct residents and visitors to Johnstown destinations
- Develop an implementation plan that outlines the costs and resources needed to implement the new Downtown Johnstown identity package and signage designs
We will be participating in and hosting a number of community events throughout the project.
Check back here for a complete list of locations as we add them!
June 4th: BBQ Day
June 4th through September: Online Community Survey
July 19th: Downtown Businesses Field Trip -Town staff dropped by local businesses starting at 10am to talk directly with business owners about this project and provide swag and marketing material to be shared with customers and patrons. We appreciate our business community's support and willingness to get the word out to residents and visitors about this project!
July 26th: 2nd Downtown Business Field Trip – Town staff visited more local businesses to talk about the Downtown Johnstown Branding & Wayfinding Project and connect with business owners that were unable to meet during the July 19 field trip. If you own a local business and would like to connect about this project (or snag some sweet swag to share with your customers), please reach out to us!
August 18: Temporary Project Signage - Have you seen the temporary signage around town? Our Public Works team has spent the last few weeks installing temporary signage around key areas in town to help promote the project and gain community awareness. The temporary signage provides general information about the project and how you can get involved. Every temporary sign features a QR code and project webpage link to help you access information quickly and complete any available surveys. Make sure to keep checking our Town Facebook page @townofjohnstown for upcoming project updates and chances to win prizes from local businesses!
September 12: Have you taken the time to take the online community survey? Time is running out to provide your input regarding the downtown and what it means to you! The Downtown Identity Survey will officially close at the end of September and the Town will begin to review and analyze the responses collected. Still have questions about this project? You can contact Sarah or Kristin anytime with questions or comments. Want to chat in person? Catch us at one of the many events around Town in September, like Fall Fest on Sunday, September 18th to talk to us about the project. We’ll be located at the Town of Johnstown booth with new stickers to hand out!
October 5: The Community Survey is officially closed! Over the next few weeks, the Branding & Wayfinding design team will be reviewing the information and feedback gathered to date and transforming it into a set of branding design options for Downtown Johnstown. Follow our Facebook page @TownofJohnstown or watch this space for notices of Town events where you can see (and vote on) the new designs! Thank you all for your participation.
November 21: Ready to hear the results of the Community Survey? We are inviting the community to join us on November 21st at 7pm during our Town Council Meeting at Town Hall (you can also watch remotely via Facebook!) to see the presentation we have prepared which includes an overview of the engagement/research we conducted along with the feedback and themes of what residents, visitors, and businesses had to say. *Please note the original date of the presentation was for November 7 Town Council meeting. We will also post the presentation online via the project webpage after the meeting.
December 13: The Town is officially in Phase 2 of the project which includes ‘Design and Iteration’! Staff is working with our project consultant to put together several brand design options for the Downtown Corridor. Our plan is to have a work session with Town Council in January 2023 to discuss the brand design options and afterward host a brand week throughout the community to showcase those options to our residents and visitors! Residents and visitors will be able to provide feedback throughout this process to ensure the final brand identity of the downtown reflects the thoughts and feelings we heard and gathered during Phase 1 of the project.
January 23: Join us Monday at 6pm at Town Hall as we present to Council during a Town Work Session our preliminary design brand options. Staff will present to Council several brand options to gather feedback before we showcase the options to the community.
Following Monday’s Work Session, staff will make necessary edits and adjustments to the design brand options and starting January 31st launch ‘Design Brand Week’! Our goal is to setup a town booth throughout the community to showcase the design brand options during the week of January 31st through February 4th. During ‘Design Brand Week’ and several weeks after that, we will provide residents and businesses the opportunity to vote for their favorite design brand option. Below is a tentative schedule of where you can find us during ‘Design Brand Week’. Also, check out our Facebook and Instagram pages to stay up to date on locations/times and voting options online!
Design Brand Week Locations & Times:
• Monday January 30th, YMCA from 7-9am
• Monday January 30th, Urban Egg Restaurant from 10:30am-12:30pm
• Monday January 30th, Hays Market from 3-5pm
• Wednesday February 1st, Johnstown Community Center (Senior Center) from 10am-12pm
• Wednesday February 1st, Glenn A. Jones Memorial Library from 1-3pm
• Thursday February 2nd, Santiago’s Restaurant from 11:30am-1:30pm
• Thursday February 2nd, YMCA from 4-6pm
• Saturday February 4th, Urban Egg Restaurant from 11am-1pm
• Saturday February 4th, Red Barn Liquor from 2-4pm
• Thursday February 9th, Glenn A. Jones Memorial Library from 5:30-7:30pm
More dates & locations to be added!
We will continue to post updates regarding official dates for the work session and design brand week in the coming weeks on the project webpage (here!) and social media. Stay tuned!
“What’s the big idea?”
The Downtown Johnstown Branding & Wayfinding Vision & Approach
The Downtown Johnstown Branding & Wayfinding Plan is a community-driven process that will help the historic downtown district tell its story and raise awareness of its amenities and special places. Through this planning and design process, we will:
- Engage with the Johnstown community in an equitable and meaningful way
- Help celebrate the history and character of Downtown Johnstown
- Create marketing and promotional materials that will help promote the historic downtown core of Johnstown
“What is a community brand?”
A community brand identity creates a consistent message and platform that can be used to market a place. For the Johnstown Branding & Wayfinding Plan, the new brand will create an identity package for the historic downtown that can be used to promote and celebrate the district. A successful community brand accurately represents the values and character of a place, and helps tell a compelling story to visitors and community members.
“What is the purpose of a Downtown Johnstown brand?”
The new downtown brand and identity package will help support the economic success of the downtown through a package of marketing materials that include things like a new logo, tagline, and marketing plan. The identity package will allow the historic downtown district to speak with one consistent and compelling voice, and help the district compete for visitors and businesses.
“What is community wayfinding?”
A wayfinding program helps a community communicate with people who are unfamiliar with a place. Wayfinding helps welcome visitors through signage, gateway features, and other built elements that act as guides to keep people from getting lost or misdirected, or makes them aware of destinations that might be hard to find. Great community wayfinding creates a positive visitor experience, and encourages people to stay longer and do more in a place.
“Why does Johnstown need community wayfinding?”
Johnstown’s historic downtown district can be hard to find, and there are other Johnstown community destinations that visitors (and even some residents!) may not be aware of. The new community wayfinding will raise awareness of Johnstown’s special places and districts, and help inspire people to visit and enjoy these important community amenities.
“What is the project schedule?”
The Downtown Branding & Wayfinding Plan will kick-off in June of 2022 and continue through Spring of 2023. During the first project phase, we will work with the Johnstown community to create a brand identity for the historic downtown district. During the second project phase, we will use the finalized brand identity to create wayfinding designs that help direct people to the downtown district and other community amenities.
“What will this project produce?”
The final Branding & Wayfinding Plan will include a series of documents and deliverables, with lots of input from you! The project deliverables will include:
- Project Goals & Engagement Strategy
- Existing Conditions & Document Review
- Brand Discovery Book
- Strategic Brand Platform Book
- Downtown Brand Identity Package (logo, tagline)
- Brand Marketing & Implementation Plan
- Wayfinding Context Analysis & Wayfinding System Report
- Wayfinding Designs & Location Plan
- Wayfinding Quantities & Cost Estimates
“What do we need from you?”
In order to authentically tell the story and celebrate the character of Downtown Johnstown, we need to understand the things that you value about the downtown, what you think is special and unique about your community, and how you’d like to see Johnstown grow and redevelop over time. We also need to know your ideas for what would make the downtown a more compelling place to visit, and what places in the overall community are hard or confusing to access. The more you share your perspectives on the things that make up the heart and soul of Johnstown, the more successful the new downtown branding and wayfinding will be.
“How can I get involved?”
The project website will be updated throughout the project, and contain links to community surveys, outreach events, workshops and presentations. Short project summaries will be included in the monthly Johnstown community newsletter, and periodic updates will be posted to the Town of Johnstown’s Facebook page. If you’d like to sign up for the community newsletter, please add your name and contact information by clicking the link above.
Let’s stay in touch! Here’s how to find us.
Sign up for the Town's Monthly Newsletter to get updates on the Downtown Branding & Wayfinding Plan!
We need your ideas! Click here to submit your project questions, ideas, or to have a member of our team connect with you. We look forward to hearing from you!