You only turn 50 once, so when the Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency blew out all those candles this year we wanted to make it extra special. The RDA develops housing, parks, and community centers that have brought together and improved the standard of living for decades of families– all while paying homage to the history of Salt Lake City as it presses towards new horizons. Not just an annual report, the book we created captures nuances, celebrations, and the unique community the RDA has helped to craft in the past 50 years.

To honor the 50-year history of the RDA, we wanted to incorporate a throwback, mid-century tip of the hat into the 50-year logo.

We put high priority in telling RDA's story in an easily digestible way that honors City and Community. We incorporated timelines and historical snippets that engage the user with both the large cultural shifts, as well as the minute moments that bring to life not only the 349 (and counting!) projects of the RDA, but the story, the people, and the landscape. The book showcases the vivid imagery captured and catalogued over the years, and presents each project its own light. Tactile elements with soft-touch laminated pages highlight key events in each decade, and full-bleed imagery highlights the nuances of this picturesque city sitting nestled in the mountains.

Who doesn’t love a birthday party with goody bags?! We wanted to create takeaways that donors and stakeholders would be proud to show off around the city, like modern and ultra instagram-worthy tote bags for the summer’s farmers markets and art festivals. One side of the bag sports the newly-designed 50-year logo, and a turn to the other side reveals just a few of the RDA’s many accomplishments.

To accompany the 50 year reunion, we wanted to empower the RDA to take their social feed and marketing for the big event and run with it, so we designed a full set of filters, overlays, and social assets to get them started.