The Heart of Republic is a collection of stories, spotlights and shout-outs from Republic Wireless members across the country. This project created a purely editorial environment within Republic’s marketing site. The design prioritizes members’ savings stories over sales or products to emphasize that storytelling is a powerful way to build a community and promote a brand.
To gather content for the site, I sent out a survey prompting Republic members to share their story for a chance to be featured. I categorized the responses into four core benefits of the cell service: high savings, wifi calling, service abroad and family friendly. I interviewed members with stories from each category to showcase a wide range of experiences. With each story, I was amazed at how affordable and simple communication can strengthen families and create a positive impact in so many lives.
I built the site using Squarespace and edited the front-end code with their Developer Platform. In addition to designing the layout and experience of the Heart of Republic, I wrote all eight stories and created branding for the microsite.
Branding
The progression of the logo design. The logo for the Heart of Republic incorporates the shape of a heart with the typography of an H and R. The logo's color and form developed as I thought of it being formed from paper–something personal and tactile like the stories told on the site.
David and Stephanie
David and Stephanie were the first members I met for this project. They shared how their savings with Republic helped them pay off debt in record time and build a future for their young family. Their story set the bar for the other amazing stories on the site and inspired me to keep talking to members.
We photographed David, Stephanie and their son in the home they renovated together after reaching their savings goal. The sidebar content goes into more depth about their savings story.
Leslee
After extreme flooding in Louisiana, Leslee reached out to share how wifi coverage helped her communicate with friends and family during the natural disaster. With the Amite River reaching over 17 feet and nearby areas getting 31 inches of rain, her Republic phone gave her a sense of safety. We talked about her experience over the phone and she contributed her own photos to the story.
Tim and Laura
To learn Tim and Laura’s story, I traveled to a small town two hours outside of Seattle. Cell service can be spotty in the Wenatchee Mountains valleys, but Tim and Laura were pros at keeping in touch with wifi calling. While on service trips to Europe, Africa and the Caribbean, they used their Republic phones to keep in touch with family back home.
The photos showcase the beauty of Washington and the playful and loving dynamic of their family. The sidebar content reveals more factoids about their travels and tenure with Republic Wireless.
