St. Jacobs Country

WINTER 2023 — RURAL / ARTISINAL / HOMEGROWN / HERITAGE

St. Jacobs is a quaint village located on the banks of the Conestogo River just north of the City of Waterloo. Known for its charming ambiance, farm-to-table produce and Mennonite heritage, St. Jacobs is a countryside community filled with heart and hospitality. Welcoming tourists from all over, St. Jacobs Country offers visitors a rural escape filled with rich history, specialty shops, and artisan goods. The picturesque setting is the perfect backdrop for any Ontario staycation.

For this project, we were selected to work alongside the Township of Woolwich and conduct a thorough brand and digital audit - examining St. Jacobs Country’s current brand and how they can better reach their audience. We achieved this through intensive research such as in-person pop-ups, online community surveys, and intimate stakeholder meetings. Once the brand audit was complete, we translated our findings into a visual brand strategy that would communicate St. Jacobs's values and vision for the community.

The results of their new brand mirror their mission to be a homegrown community, rich with heritage and history. Inspired by the traditional art and a regional connection to quilting, the selected branding option represents the parcels of land and stories that make up St. Jacobs Country, embodying what the community had to offer residents, visitors, and businesses alike. Quilts are an important piece of St. Jacobs Country heritage, offering insight into the social, cultural, and economic history of the area while holding memories of the materials used to create them.

From the Sawmills and Railway to the Silos and Artisans - this design celebrates the history of St. Jacobs Country and pays homage to the stories and people that have helped build the community. Designed to mirror a family heirloom, the quilt has been designed to pass down stories of homegrown heritage to future generations and maintain that sense of nostalgia that makes St. Jacobs Country so special. Additional elements such as a block naming system can be incorporated into this brand (i.e. ‘The Village Block’ or ‘The Market Block’). This reference ties into the quilt-making process and the history of how the region was originally broken up into ‘blocks’. 

Landscape Architecture Team: Pl.ural