Living Central Virginia

Brief & Strategic Challenge

The Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development (CVPED) struggled to use their traditional marketing materials to connect with early-career talent. They needed a ground-up digital platform built specifically to help local employers recruit young professionals to the region. The success of the project depended on a seamless user journey from regional storytelling to actual career opportunities.

Creative Direction & Digital Design

The project kicked off with a mini brand strategy and design phase followed by UX/UI design. To immediately sell the reality of moving to Central Virginia, the new layout  centered around local photography highlighting the region’s active lifestyle and scenery.

Web accessibility was a top priority. The landscape-inspired tones of CVPED's brand color palette were desaturated and adjusted to pass WCAG contrast ratios without losing connection to the existing brand.

To create the best browser experience for the target audience, a mobile-first design was prioritized. On smaller screens, the content was stripped down, hierarchies were reorganized, and text blocks were shortened to help users navigate regional guides effortlessly.

The Outcome

The core technical challenge was ensuring a cohesive look and feel when users transitioned to the job board. A third-party job platform was successfully integrated into the site's interface, creating a sleek, unified experience. Instead of feeling pushed to an external site, users enjoy a smooth, uninterrupted journey from learning about Central Virginia to applying for a role.

The final digital hub fully replaces outdated print assets, giving incoming talent a fast, highly accessible tool to navigate their potential move.