A CMS-powered publication about impact investing. I handled the strategy, brand, site structure, and high-fidelity design with two goals: qualify for a Google Ads Grant and give the editorial team control of its content.
AI Summary
The Brief
Impactist is a nonprofit publication about impact investing. The site had to meet strict Google Ads Grant standards for navigation, content organization, and messaging without feeling designed for a checklist. The editorial team also needed to publish and update articles without calling a developer. I planned the work around brand, information architecture, grant compliance, CMS build, and launch milestones so creative and operational requirements moved together.
Impactist platform overview: homepage and article layout
Context
Impact investing combines finance with measurable social or environmental goals, but the idea is still unfamiliar to many readers. The content needed to explain the subject without sounding academic. At the same time, the navigation had to meet grant requirements and the brand had to feel credible without becoming dry.
The existing brand had no digital presence to speak of. Everything had to be built from scratch, including the visual identity, site architecture, and the CMS setup that would let the team manage it all going forward.
Brand + Web Design
I developed the logo, color system, and typography before designing the site. The direction was bold but restrained, with a strong type hierarchy and enough space for the writing to lead. I organized the sitemap and content around the Google Ads Grant requirements.
The CMS was set up so the editorial team could create new posts, manage categories, and update pages without touching code. Every content block was templated and documented so consistency would hold regardless of who was publishing.
Step 01
I ran stakeholder sessions to understand the audience, editorial workflow, brand direction, and Google Ads Grant requirements. Those constraints became a shared brief, success criteria, and a phased plan for design, CMS implementation, and launch.
Step 02
I mapped the site architecture, article taxonomy, navigation, and publishing flow before designing screens. The sitemap and content model went through multiple stakeholder reviews, reducing rework once the CMS build began.
Step 03
I turned the brief into a logo, accessible type and color system, responsive templates, and a reusable component library. Reviews with the team tested the hierarchy against real article content and grant requirements before build.
Step 04
I built the approved experience in the CMS, checked responsive states and publishing edge cases, and supported launch. Templated content blocks and team training made the editorial workflow sustainable after handoff.
Impactist launched as a fully operational blog platform the team could manage independently from day one. The design passed Google Ads Grant review, which unlocked meaningful distribution for the content. The brand gave the publication a credible visual identity in a space that mostly defaults to generic finance aesthetics.
