Spring Retreat Invitation

Duwamish Cohousing has begun a process of renewal after a long struggle that had brought the community to a standstill. After great work to get the community heading back to an integrated community, the Spring Retreat was a chance at making a big leap forward in rebuilding their community, and they wanted to make sure of a large turnout. Working with their agenda, we developed an engaging and beautiful invitation that would really grab the attention of each member as they were personally delivered by hand. We went beyond the standard invitation to pull the viewer in with whimsy, taking down any barriers, and giving a highly hopeful feeling to renewing their community.

We achieved this with an astounding turnout through two primary strategies. One was the outer theme of a whimsical, playful, and beautiful illustrative style of spring. The aesthetic grabbed their hearts and allowed us in as they explored the piece and characters. After they opened the first fold, they were asked to “Unfold to Play”, folding it open to the full letter size sheet.

Inside was a fully functional game board illustrating the schedule of events of the retreat as if it were a game board. Game cards were positioned to give more information about the various events throughout the weekend, and the game board itself was filled with humorous, playful statements along the winding path. The spring theme and characters came in as well, playing their role within the design.

We hid additional little bits of humor and parody throughout, lending an upbeat tone to the whole event, despite the long workshops involved. We even explained how to play the game, which several enthusiastically forwarded that they played the game. We have been told how it may even become a periodic event among board meetings.

Credits: Design and Logo by Josh Parkinson