Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants

Project Details

Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants

A Historic Organization Sets It’s Sights On The Future

Date

May 30th, 2024

Client

Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants

Location

Hingham, MA

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Overview Project

The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants was founded in 1896 to perpetuate the memory of Pilgrim ancestors and to maintain and defend the principles of civil and religious liberty set forth in the Mayflower Compact. Membership is open to all who can prove lineal descent from one of the Mayflower passengers. The Society has approximately 4,000 active members, and is one of the largest state Mayflower Descendant societies in the world. Approximately 36,000,000 people worldwide can trace their lineage to the original passengers of the Mayflower, who came ashore in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 after travelling across the Atlantic.

Problems

The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants approached Mayflower Web Design with a large ask: Overhaul every aspect of their organization where technology could help modernize operations, in an effort to improve efficiency, offer a better member experience, and attract future generations.

This included digitizing all aspects of their membership process, from initial application, documentation uploads, scheduling video conference meetings, processing payments, and delivering a compelling membership portal including resources, merchandise, and organizational news & events, this was a sweeping overhaul that touched all facets of the society.

As a brand redesign was part of the initial discussion, Mayflower Web Design reached out to Dan Paulsen at MadFish Media for insight & guidance. Together, they decided it was the perfect opportunity to put their strengths together & deliver a world-class, all-encompassing solution.

Our Solutions

Digital Application Process
Digital Payment Solutions
E-Commerce Solutions
Digital Event Ticket Sales Solutions
Membership Content Delivery
Optimized Site Map
UX/UI Redesign
Rebrand: Logo & Brand Elements

This was a dream project for Mayflower Web Design, partnering with a historic organization rooted in their own brand name. This project is more than just a job; it’s a passion project, and Mayflower Web Design hopes their presentation demonstrates their excitement and commitment to helping the Society of Mayflower Descendants build an exceptional digital presence! They are confident their services can help the Society achieve its business goals. Mayflower Web Design was able to help The Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants to:

Reduce their membership application turnaround time from 6 months down to about 2 weeks.
All membership dues, event ticket sales, and scholarship donations are now automatically processed and securely deposited, eliminating any manual paper processing
Merchandise sales have generated additional profits, giving members a way to celebrate & engage with the society in new ways
Event Ticket Sales have become streamlined
Member satisfaction with the new website overhaul has been overwhelmingly positive

Brand Kit

This Brand Kit for the Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants (MSMD) outlines the organization’s visual identity, brand voice, and applications to ensure consistent and professional communication. Founded in 1896, MSMD is a historical and genealogical organization dedicated to preserving the memory and legacy of the Mayflower Pilgrims.

Key elements of the Brand Kit include:

Brand Overview: The kit serves as a single source of truth for the brand’s appearance, sound, and feel, ensuring consistency across all communications, from social media posts to client presentations and emails.

Visual Identity – Logo: A new, modern logo has been unveiled for MSMD that honors its history while embracing the future. The new design distills essential elements from the original logo into a clean, contemporary, recognizable, and impactful design. It retains the imagery of “The Mayflower” as the centerpiece and introduces a modern aesthetic with more detailed graphics and an Atlantic color palette. This evolution reflects MSMD’s commitment to preserving history and fostering community, ensuring its visual identity remains relevant.

Color Palette: The primary colors are a dynamic range of blue, teal, and green hues “pulled straight from the sea,” capturing the spirit of the Atlantic Ocean and representing both the perils of the Pilgrims’ journey and the optimism of their faith. Secondary and supporting colors are also provided, with brighter accent colors recommended for call-to-action buttons.

Typography: The main font for headers is Playfair Display, while Poppins is used for subheadings, paragraphs, buttons, and menus.

Brand Voice: MSMD’s brand voice aims to project an image of authority and trustworthiness regarding Mayflower history and genealogy, while remaining approachable and informative for members and the public. It is described as respectful, historical, educational, and somewhat formal, yet welcoming.

Applications and Usage Examples: The kit provides examples of how the brand elements should be applied, including document headers , email signatures , certificates (such as the Junior Membership Certificate) , and merchandise options like the Unisex Jersey Short Sleeve Tee.