The Minnesota Cleaners Association
The Minnesota Cleaners Association approached us in 2009 to redesign their website and brand identity. This 30-year-old organization provides information about the dry cleaning profession, new state laws and regulations, and recent technical advances relevant to the industry.
More importantly, the MCA site keeps a database of all registered fabric care specialists in Minnesota.
An easy to use store locator
The directors at the MCA needed a simple way to update content on the site, posts news and events, and manage members in the database. Using the popular software WordPress as a content management system, Barrett Creative designed SimpleMap, a store locator plugin using the Google Maps API.
Rebranding a 30 year old organization
While SimpleMap was in development, we were hard at work breathing new life into the MCA brand. By keeping current elements of the logo—in this case, the wire hanger attached to a silhouette of Minnesota—we were able to give them a brand that was similar to what they were used to, but with an updated and polished look.
With the color scheme taken from the new logo, the next task was to create a layout that adequately represented what the MCA goals and objectives. After a few revisions, we decided on a clean, easy-to-read layout with emphasis on the two primary reasons people visit the site: the SimpleMap store locator, and the News and Events section.
The site was launched in mid March, the same weekend as the MCA’s annual convention.
