Client: Abbot Library

A brand refresh and website redesign that honors historic Marblehead while improving clarity, accessibility, and community engagement.

Abbot Library is the public library located in Marblehead, MA. As a community hub, Abbot Library strives to assist the needs of its patrons by offering newly-released bestsellers and an extensive library collection, research rooms, meeting spaces, events—and much more.

Duration

22 Weeks

Project Year

2022

Sector(s)

Education, Community Services

The Challenge

Abbot Public Library approached Hyphenate with a multi-faceted goal: increase visibility and community engagement while honoring the traditions and character of historic Marblehead, Massachusetts. As a trusted civic institution, the library needed an updated identity that felt contemporary—yet still familiar and welcoming to long-time residents.

At the same time, the website required a full overhaul. Years of layered content had made navigation difficult, and the library needed a strategic audit and reorganization to better serve a wide range of visitors—from lifelong patrons to new community members discovering Abbot for the first time. The website needed to be easy to update with adequate training provided for staff to manage site content on their own while leaving more technical and design updates for Hyphenate to manage to ensure the integrity of the new website.

PROJECT SCOPE

Brand identity refresh
Logo refinement and two additional typographic treatments
Color palette and typography system
Website audit, reorganization, and redesign
Business card templates and digital signatures (multiple layouts)
Letterhead templates (Library, Foundation, and Friends)
Tri-fold brochure template
Email newsletter template (Constant Contact)
Postcard mailer design
Event poster templat

Toolkit & Skills Used

communications strategy
brand awareness strategy
social media
graphic design
copywriting + copyediting
videography
website maintenance + development
Airtable
Adobe Creative Suite

Our Approach

Hyphenate approached the project by balancing respect for Abbot’s legacy with a clearer, more modern system the library could use every day. We refreshed the identity with a refined primary logo and additional typographic treatments to provide flexibility across applications, supported by a cohesive color palette and typography system designed to feel contemporary while still familiar and welcoming.

In parallel, we overhauled the website with usability and accessibility in mind. After auditing and reorganizing existing content, we redesigned the site architecture to create clearer pathways to programs, events, and key resources. We also applied SEO best practices to improve discoverability—helping residents and visitors find what they need more easily.

To support ongoing communications, we delivered a suite of branded templates for the Library as well as its Foundation and Friends groups—making it easier for teams to produce consistent materials in-house across print and digital channels.

THE RESULTS

Abbot Library now has a cohesive identity and a clearer digital experience that better supports community engagement. The refreshed visual system brings consistency across departments and partner organizations, and the redesigned website makes it easier to discover programs, events, and resources through improved structure and SEO-informed organization.

Just as importantly, the template suite gives the team practical tools to communicate confidently and efficiently—helping Abbot stay visible, welcoming, and relevant as a modern community hub rooted in Marblehead’s historic character.