Riverward
Challenge
ZSD Development purchased a prime parcel along the Chicago River with plans for 35 luxury rowhomes that would help connect the city’s Riverwalk, filling a gap in the trail while bringing residential living to the riverfront. The rowhomes would deliver on craftsmanship and design, but the brand had to communicate that level of quality before anyone walked through a model unit. The project needed a name and identity that could speak to Chicago’s heritage without feeling like a museum piece, something forward-looking that still felt rooted in the city’s DNA. The identity also needed to work across multiple applications, from digital materials to a large off-site property sign located nearly a mile away that would serve as the first introduction to the project.
client
RiverWard
INDUSTRY
Real Estate Development
SERVICES
Branding
Marketing strategy
Commercial printing
Creative direction & design
Website development
Solution
1905 New Media created RiverWard, pulling the name from two sources: the development’s location along the Chicago River and “ward,” an early civic term Chicagoans once used to describe their neighborhoods. Combining the two created a name that feels authentic, grounded and full of purpose. The tagline “Rowhomes on Chicago’s Riverwalk” anchors the brand with a clear sense of place and sophistication. We then designed a modern and elegant logo supported by a complete visual identity system. The new brand was extended into property signage, environmental graphics and digital touchpoints through RiverWardRowhomes.com, creating a unified image for the development well before construction began.
