The challenge
On November 20, 2020, GirlTrek’s one millionth member made a choice to walk for better health. For this “life-saving sisterhood,” it was a realization of a vision hatched in 2010 to transform Black lives through walking, and to heal trauma and fight systemic racism through Black women advocating for change. At this inflection point, GirlTrek asked Teal to reimagine their website and create a platform that can scale to match their plans for another decade of building power and changing lives.
The original site did not capture the spirit of GirlTrek’s bold vision, proved confusing to potential new members, and didn’t keep pace with the organization’s growth and profile. Users were asking, “How do I get started?” and “Help me understand the benefits this community has to offer.”
To go far, go together
Together, we charted a new journey, building a path through the website that carries users from signup and sneakers to finding community and becoming a crew leader.
The result? A vibrant new site that’s as dynamic as GirlTrek’s members, ready to help map the next phase of this health revolution for Black women. Our collaboration with GirlTrek proved to be a remarkable success, culminating in the honor of receiving the Gold Anthem Award in 2023.
Expressing a brand to match GirlTrek’s power
Visually, Teal took an existing logo and created a bold and typography-focused new brand expression. We punched up the vibrancy of the signature blue, built out a palette with striking accent colors, and gave the GirlTrek team a design system that’s flexible—so uniquely styled campaigns like Black History Bootcamp and “Daughters Of” can all fit underneath the brand umbrella.
Throughout the site, we featured GirlTrek’s powerful photos to make the organization feel authentic and approachable to new members. And, with real member videos rolling, the site feels alive with movement.
Creating the GirlTrek journey
We structured the site around the core movement journey:
- Start your healing journey makes the case for dusting off those old sneakers and walking. For physical health, for mental health, and for community-wide health. The section includes powerful stats, a podcast series, first-person stories, and a map to “check in and be counted.”
- Practice self care includes video testimonials, helpful mantras, and a reminder that “for Black women, self-care is self preservation.”
- Connect to the movement highlights local Facebook groups to keep members engaged, features campaigns like “A Global Walk for Harriet,” and a map to find local events and activities focused on joy and justice.
- Train to lead shows GirlTrek members the way to lead, from crew leader to coach. With clear steps to get started and a straightforward application form, this section inspires members to make the leap into movement leadership.
Together, this unconventional structure shows potential, new, and long-time members how GirlTrek works and offers myriad ways to get involved—at whatever pace is right.
