Descanso Gardens
Branding, Signage, Collateral & Wayfinding

A popular Los Angeles County Botanical Garden, Descanso Gardens’ Executive Director approached us to help bring more visitors in through the gates, more frequently during the week. Reinventing the Gardens’ brand and offering more useful information was how we began our engagment. One year later, membership is up, a new voice is welcoming visitors.
Year Built: 2007
Project duration: 1 year, ongoing
Zaudhaus role: Brand Vision, Identity design, Wayfinding, Collateral & Marketing

Services
Signage, Editorial Design, Collateral & Packaging, Wayfinding

Industries
Environmental, Entertainment
STATS
RELATED
CHALLENGE + SOLUTION
The Challenge: Descanso Gardens had a tall order: Bring more visitors through the gates more often throughout the year (not just on weekends). There was an existing identity system that was dated and very little information available to visitors - explaining the vision and opportunities available. What existed were inconsistent collateral pieces that had been developed by different people for different reasons - all lacking a singular vision. The new Executive Director, however, had a Vision - to create a Garden of Ideas. He wanted us to help transform a place that most had forgotten into a destination where people of all ages could enjoy nature and learn about it.

Being a not-for-profit organization meant budgets were low and they couldn't afford a traditional (and complete) face-lift all at once. We had to create a staged approach that would address the items that could make the most impact first; and then follow on with additional items as budgets became available. We worked first on redesigning the member newsletter for two reasons. First, because members were the most valuable audience as they were more than 89% likely to re-up for membership year on year. Second, they were the group we felt were due to hear about the new creative changes in store for the Gardens - first. The newsletter took on a completely new, large-format size along with a dramatically modern typographic and visual design style. The design approach echoed modern '50's and 60's style - with classic typography with typefaces like Clarendon to help remind us of where the Gardens history came. The newsletter permitted us to experiment with a variety of design elements that we extended to other pieces later like signage and other collateral.
“Zaudhaus’ capable team has given us a unified, updated system that is fresh. With their guidance, our new look has opened us to new markets. They have captured the spirit of this place wonderfully.”
- Linda S. Mitchell,
Director of Development and Marketing,
Descanso Gardens