Duwamish Cohousing

Duwamish Cohousing Association needed a new website for their new identity to show off their cohousing community and their available units for potential new members. They have a playful, inclusive energy that needed to be represented, and appeal to families and a clientele with optimistic beliefs in community living. A Spring theme of renewal, and a playfulness uniquely targeting those who would be seeking out a family oriented cohousing community, keeps the feel light, inviting, and optimistic about the potential of community. Members aren’t looking for investments, they are looking for a social community lifestyle and a place for their children to grow up in. Yet the design is sophisticated enough to be professional.

A historic symbol of their inclusive community has always been the ribbon circle, where each ribbon tied to the circle over the years represents a new member that has come to the community, contributing their own unique colored ribbon. While the logo needed to be simplified, the original rainbow element of many bright colors was incorporated into the overall theme. With some moderation for the sake of coherent design, the multi-colored theme is combined with a simple, modern aesthetic to contribute both to eye-catching appeal and the playful, inclusive nature. The color also creates visual, symbolic consistency as the color scale is consistent as you navigate the sections, and the headers change color to match. The menu gives a nod to the ribbon concept in a physical respect as well by moving independently as each colored menu item is moused over as if a hanging ribbon is being lifted as the mouse moves over it.

A feed on the homepage is sourced directly from facebook for easy updating and pointing visitors to the social media of choice for Duwamish Cohousing. We developed a custom administration for the housing element with custom entry boxes for the property information and an automatic slideshow for each property page.

An internal site is being developed as well, just for community members. Running a cohousing community is complex, and a internal site to help them manage it is just what they need next!

Credits: Design, Development, and Some Photography by Josh Parkinson