Commack, NY – New Beginnings Community Center was born out of the goal to develop state-of-the-art, long-term rehabilitation services for survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other cognitive and physical disorders. Although the center is yet to be constructed, Founder and Executive Vice President Allyson Scerri has a clear vision of the building, its unique services offered, and the lives yet to be transformed through this much-needed resource. She says those on the journey of recovery will be treated with a paramount holistic approach that embraces hope, healing and understanding for survivors and their loved ones.

The critical first step of the building process is raising awareness of—and funds for—the TBI community and New Beginnings. So the visionary Scerri teamed with Skylar Design to achieve the best in web presence and information distribution at www.nbcommunitycenter.org.

Site Objectives

Skylar took on the web-design project with great respect for the uniqueness of New Beginnings’ vision and its primary need to educate the public about the center. Usability functions had to be incorporated to help individuals easily stay abreast of TBI and New Beginnings events and research. Developing an intuitive “how to” structure was also important to communicate how to get involved, make donations and participate in fundraisers.

Next, Skylar identified the story of the center’s birth as fundamental to positioning the site's authenticity and value. Featuring Scerri's journey in helping her father through TBI therapy provides a genuine backdrop for the center's impetus.

Although its building is yet to be constructed, New Beginnings needs a strong platform from which to present its plans and progress to future partners. With that in mind, Skylar knew it must use great care in conveying a professional, distinct image for the site. Likewise, the site must be structured to grow with the center’s expansion. Continually educating individuals through videos, testimonials, and other resources would best communicate the center's impact.

Skylar’s Solutions

For consistent branding and site recognition, Skylar converted the New Beginnings logo into a web banner—with a twist. The logo within the interface appears as if it's falling off the top bar for a 3D effect. A gradient treatment makes the logo pop.

The homepage points immediately to the center's vision, core values, news & events, and contact information. A photo of Scerri provides a personal touch and strong visual cue that the center's unique story is just a click away.

To appeal to site visitors of all ages, but with a focus on those in their 40s and 50s, the typography chosen is crisp, clear and moderately sized for optimum readability.

Inspiring images of hope and growth reinforce what the center stands for and the optimism that a second chance is in the making for TBI survivors and their loved ones. As the center advances, those photos can be easily interchanged with those of the actual people and places making the dream of New Beginnings a reality.

A Native American proverb featured on the new site says, “Sorrow shared is halved and joy shared is doubled.” Skylar Design is proud to be a part of New Beginnings’ site launch. To learn how you can share in New Beginnings’ volunteer or fundraising opportunities, visit www.nbli.org.