Greater Somerset County YMCA 150th Anniversary Content

[ about ]

The challenge was to clearly convey the whole history of the 150-year-old Greater Somerset County YMCA—a nonprofit organization that started as one, then split into two, came back together, expanded to new territory, and also merged with two separate neighboring organizations (each with their own concurrent and unique story to tell).

APPROACH & OUTCOME

Data visualization and information graphics were created specifically for this scenario—making the complex instantly accessible and understandable. Key points in the histories of Bridgewater YMCA, Franklin Twp YMCA, Hillsborough YMCA, Princeton YMCA, Somerset Hills YMCA, and Somerville YMCA were plotted in chronological order on, at times, parallel timelines—all beginning in 1873 and concluding in 2023. This approach conveyed substantially more information at once, all while also providing important context for each organization and each significant milestone along the way. Data was plotted using Microsoft PowerPoint as a framework for the final designed timeline infographic which was refined and made production-ready using Adobe Illustrator.

Accompanying the graphic was a simple slideshow-style video to be played during meal service at the 150th anniversary gala event. The video brought the timeline to life through imagery that included photography and historical documents. Post-event, photos captured of guests, honorees, and local dignitaries were highlighted in a slideshow-style video that coordinated with the organizational history video played at the gala event. The video content was posted to YouTube and shared out via personal touch email, social media, and on Greater Somerset County YMCA’s philanthropic section of its website.

This project is an example of the player-coach role I pivoted into while at Greater Somerset County YMCA as the organization recovered from impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including significantly reduced staffing levels in areas like marketing, finance, and HR.

MY ROLE

Data Storytelling, Photography & Video Content Editing

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & TOOLS

• Strategy: Brand Storytelling | Creative Concepting | Data Storytelling | Visual Information Design
• Creative & Production: Data Visualization | Infographic Concepting | Layout & Composition | Photography | Video Content Editing
• Tools: Adobe Illustrator | Microsoft PowerPoint