Successful brands weave an ongoing story over time, interacting with and becoming part of everyday life. We had our first opportunity to test this filter on the new VisitKC.com brand with a campaign to drive excitement around one big event: The All-Star Game 2012. This is a once in a generation opportunity to share all that Kansas City has to offer with the world.

Beginning with the Kansas City Cowboys and the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues, Kansas Citians have a long history of baseball fanaticism. Fittingly, the term “fan” was said to have been coined by coach/player “Red” Sullivan of the Kansas City Cowboys baseball team back in the 1880s. With this in mind, the FanatiKCs campaign was created to show the world that Kansas City fans are FanatiKCal about their city and baseball. The graphic system is designed around the Kansas City Spark, a symbol inspired by the energy that happens when our city’s friendly, BBQ and baseball-loving roots merge with our ever growing innovation, entrepreneurship, arts and entertainment culture.

FanatiKCs messaging and the crashing KC baseball are appearing on billboards, street graphics, retail window stickers, vehicles and brand ambassadors all around town. The graphic tool kit is available through the KCCVA for free use by businesses and organizations throughout the greater Kansas City area, providing one of the first opportunities for Kansas Citians to welcome visitors with one, unified voice — a voice that can extend to all that is KC: BasKCetball, KCuisine, MusiKC… the possibilities are endless.

Willoughby helped client Gail Lozoff launch the first fast-casual restaurant chain, Bagel and Bagel, more than 15 years ago. Her newest concept, SPIN! — inspired by Neapolitan-style pizza and her love for Italian cycling — is a “favoloso” fast-casual restaurant experience that is poised for national expansion. After a successful two-year engagement designing the identity and store concept for the first location, Willoughby is working with SPIN! to open five new stores in the Kansas City area within the next year with plans for a national launch close behind.

Willoughby helped the Healthcare IT company, Cerner evolve its brand to appeal to a broader consumer audience. For over 30 years, the company had marketed predominately to hospitals but was changing its business to interface more directly with consumers. It wanted a brand that reflected its new strategy. Willoughby explored several directions to help Cerner compete with newer competitors that included Google, Microsoft and GE. The final outcome was a fresher color palette to make the company friendlier, and a proprietary logotype designed to emulate the symbolism inherent in the original Cerner “cannonball.” This symbolizes the technology industry working with healthcare to provide better solutions for consumers.

Working with El Dorado Architects, Willoughby developed a wayfinding system for a double-helix parking garage that services the Kansas City, Missouri City Hall, and County Courthouse. Since it opened in 2003, users had a hard time navigating and recalling their cars with a lack of signage and visual cues. After careful study and research our team developed a design solution that benefits from human's facial recognition recall. We developed a wayfinding system where each level is identified through a combination of face, name and color.

Willoughby was contracted by the Blue Valley School District to brand and develop wayfinding and signage for the Center for Professional Studies (CAPS). Taking a business approach to education, the program is leading the way toward a more entrepreneurial and innovative high school education system. We collaborated with Perkins + Will and NSPJ Architects to design the hybrid facility — corporate office meets high school. Willoughby has continued our relationship with CAPS by partnering with the program to provide mentorship and design related projects for students.

While at BNIM Architects, I designed the wayfinding systems and graphics for the new Life Sciences Building at the University of Missouri-Columbia. The design motif is inspired by DNA patterns and carried throughout directories, room signage and glass decals.