A community-focused Anglican church and community service provider in the heart of Glebe.

St John’s, which hosts the community services program, “GAPP”, is a unique gathering of believers and community members in an area that is diverse in race, socio-economic status, education, age, and prior exposure to church settings. GAPP stands for “Glebe Assistance Partnership Program.” Both the church and its outreach program aim to be a gathering of family, helping each other, accepting, and compassionate.

The church and it’s community centre needed some design support. As a non-profit, St' John’s brief was primarily to look updated, approachable, and non-traditional. We first worked on empathizing with and understanding the wide range of users in a UX workshop setting. User personas helped solidify who their community and attendees are, their behaviours, and their pain/gain points. The staff at St John’s felt aligned, empowered, and informed after the workshop, which was a great first outcome.

From this knowledge base, a wide range of channels, events, branding exercises, and signage have been developed. Once we could understand and empathise with the church, we were then able to extend this practice to their community services program, which is a vital lifeline for many in the suburb of Glebe. As there are many needs, sensitivities, and cultures involved in this arm of the offerings, it was important to keep our branding clear and uncomplicated while keeping the entry point very accessible.