web design studio
Designing for Community: Web + Print for Five Acre’s 15th Annual Barn Dance
Each year, Five Acre School brings families and community members together for its biggest fundraiser: The Barn Dance & Silent Auction.
For their 15th annual event, I supported the team with a full suite of deliverables — from a new Barn Dance webpage and auction platform setup to press materials, email announcements, and print signage. This project was a great example of blending creative design, clear communication, and technical problem-solving to help a well-loved local tradition shine.
Copywriting & Email Communication
I collaborated with the committee to write a press release for local news outlets and an announcement email sent to the school’s roster, letting families know when the auction would open and how to participate. My focus was on clear, inviting language that reflected the fun and community-centered spirit of the event — while also making it easy to take action.
Web Design on Two Platforms
I designed and built a dedicated Barn Dance event page on the school’s existing Squarespace website. This gave families a central place to get event details and link to the online auction.
I also set up and styled the event’s Auctria auction website, organizing auction items, adding custom branding, and ensuring it felt cohesive with the barn dance’s look and tone.
Technical Support & Tutorials
To support the school’s internal team, I created step-by-step PDF guides with annotated screenshots for two tricky Auctria tasks:
- Fixing a printing bug with blank display pages
- Displaying donor logos properly on the auction site
Printables for a Polished Event Experience
To round out the project, I designed a set of digital printables to support the in-person event, including:
- A table tent card to encourage photo sharing and commuting the event hashtag
- A sign with the venue’s WiFi password and Auctria (auction platform) bidding instructions
- A custom auction item sign for student-designed T-shirts
Each piece was created to be clear, helpful, and visually aligned with the event’s brand — so everything felt intentional and well put together.
Final Thoughts
From digital strategy to printed details, this project pulled together all the things I love: working with local organizations doing meaningful work, streamlining tech tools, and designing materials that make people’s lives easier.
Need strategic, design-minded support for your next web project? My Design Sprints make it simple.