EXPERIENCING DESIGN IN THE COMMUNITY

Last week, people from all over Charleston, SC, attended the 15th Annual Mount Pleasant Chamber Business and Community Expo, an opportunity for job seekers, entrepreneurs, residents, and businesses to socialize and make connections. For us, being part of it meant more than attending. Starting in January, we had the honor of shaping the event’s identity through design and marketing, and on the big day, we got to experience firsthand the connections it sparked.

When this project began, we started discussing the logo and marketing materials. Our primary goal was to make this year feel significant and visually demonstrate the Chamber's impact. What came to mind was radiation. Not in the scientific sense, but as a visual metaphor for the way the organization and expo have impacted the community over the years. Something we have seen firsthand as we've been members of the chamber for a few years.

The use of lines radiating outward from the logo symbolized the ripple effect this event has created over the past 15years. Each year, its positive influence extends further, helping vendors gain visibility, giving attendees fresh opportunities, and strengthening the fabric of our local business community. Our design choices aimed to capture that sense of movement and growth. The materials weren’t just about marking an anniversary; they were about showing the Expo’s lasting impact and its ability to continue reaching further. Radiate outward, invite people in, and create an atmosphere that feels alive.

By the time the Expo arrived, the design work was everywhere. The logo anchored the event’s look and feel, banners welcomed attendees at the doors, and marketing materials we’d created months earlier now lived in people’s hands. It was a rewarding moment to see the visual system do exactly what it was intended to do: create consistency, build anticipation, and make the Expo feel like an event that mattered.

But our role didn’t end with design. On the morning of the Expo, we volunteered by driving a golf cart shuttle from the overflow lot to the event entrance. Along with our shuttle partner helping tag team this task, it quickly became one of the highlights of the day. Each short ride gave an opportunity to connect with attendees, hearing feedback and expectations. It was great to hear people's stories, and sometimes there is no better litmus test than talking directly to your audience to get honest feedback.

Those few minutes in between parking and arrival became little windows into what makes this Expo so important: people showing up, ready to learn, connect, and grow together. It reminded us that design sets the stage, but it’s the human experiences of the conversations in hallways, the handshakes at booths, even the laughter on a golf cart that give the work its true meaning.

One of the unexpected highlights of the day was getting to hear real-time feedback from attendees while driving the golf cart shuttle. Usually, when we design posters, banners, and signage, we don’t have the chance to hear directly from the people interacting with them. This time, we could ask: Was it easy to navigate the event? Did the signage help them find what they needed? The answers we heard were encouraging—guests shared how vibrant and legible the graphics felt, and how simple it was to locate information and vendors. For us, that’s a true measure of success. If our design makes people feel oriented, engaged, and welcomed in the space, then the work has done exactly what it was meant to do.

Pictured below in our photo collage is some of the signage and materials we created. The radiating lines of the logo reflected not only the past fifteen years of influence but also the ongoing reach this event continues to have on businesses and individuals alike.

We’re grateful to the Expo organizers for trusting us with the design and marketing efforts, and for giving us the opportunity to pitch in on the ground. It was an honor to contribute to a milestone that celebrates what happens when businesses, vendors, and community members come together with purpose.

From nine months of planning to one day of seeing it all in motion, we left with a continued appreciation for the way thoughtful design amplifies connection and community.

Below are some of the print and digital marketing materials we produced for the 15th Annual Mount Pleasant Expo.