Reimagining Housing Works
Overview
Partnering with Housing Works, a New York City-based non-profit organization and thrift store, this project aimed to reimagine their thrift shop experience and operations. The goal was to position Housing Works as a global experiential destination for both tourists and locals, while amplifying its mission of community empowerment and social inclusion.
Scope of Work
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Brand Study
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Market Research
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Environment Study
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Service Blueprint
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Concept Development
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Brand Strategy
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Visual Identity
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Store Experience Design
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Customer Experience
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User Testing
Individual Role
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Brand and Market Research
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Service Blueprint
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Ideation
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Visual Design
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Retail and Customer Experience
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Prototype Execution
Tools
Miro
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Figma
Team Project: 4 member group
Duration- 3 months
Project Details
Background
Housing Works is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to ending the dual crises of homelessness and HIV/AIDS. Founded in 1990 by members of the AIDS activist group ACT UP, Housing Works operates under the belief that stable housing is a critical foundation for health and well-being. The organization provides lifesaving services, including housing, healthcare, job training, and legal assistance, to tens of thousands of low-income New Yorkers each year.
Housing Works sustains its mission through entrepreneurial businesses, which not only generate crucial funding for the organization’s advocacy and services but also create employment opportunities within the community.
Challenge Statement
How might we transform Housing Works into a global experiential space—bridging its mission of advocacy, and community through its thrift store—to attract tourists and locals while expanding its donor and customer base among individuals 35 and younger, both domestically and internationally?
Primary Research
Current Strategy
Housing Works funds its mission to end homelessness and HIV/AIDS through a network of entrepreneurial businesses and strategies such as:
Thrift Stores
- Operates 9 thrift stores across NYC, selling donated
clothing, accessories, furniture, and home goods at
affordable prices.
- 100% of profits funding Housing Works' advocacy and
services.
- Online thrift shop (eShop), auctions, and Bookshop.org
partnerships extend reach beyond physical stores.
- Relies on community donations.
Observations:
- Lack of visual cohesion across all touchpoints like tags,
packaging material or posters.
- Navigation is tough for a consumer for specific
purchases
Bookstore and Cafe
- Operates as a hybrid bookstore, thrift boutique, and
café, with 100% of profits funding Housing Works'
advocacy and services.
- Primarily relies on donated inventory (books, media,
clothing, housewares) and volunteer staffing.
- The space is used to host weddings, corporate events,
and cultural programming (e.g, readings, fundraisers).
- The café provides coffee, wine, and light fare,
enhancing the overall experience and encouraging
customers to linger, thereby increasing dwell time and
social engagement.
Observations:
- Multiple ventures operating inside the same space
makes one heavily rely on signage and directions
which are lacking even though the store was
organized.
- Brand messaging could benefit from increased visual
cohesion.
- Customers stay seated at the cafe without exploring
merchandise (missed cross-selling opportunities).
- No music was played to create a engaging ambience.
Website and Social Media
- Website serves as both an e-commerce hub (thrift,
books, auctions) and mission advocacy portal, with
clear CTAs for donations/volunteering.
- Leverages influencer partnerships over social media
(e.g., LGBTQ+ creators).
- Promotions through ad boosts and posts of events
(bookstore readings, thrift sales) to drive foot traffic.
Observations:
- Social followers rarely translate to in-store.
- Inconsistency in branding and visual language
Housing Works Thrift Shop
Housing Works Bookstore and Cafe
Housing Works Website and Instagram
Understanding the experience (Service Blueprint)
To understand the customer experience better, we created a service blueprint to highlight the actions and emotions of both the customers and employees during the service.
These insights were gathered directly from customers through in-store interviews conducted as part of our primary research.
Ideation
Opportunity Matrix
To understand what directions are the most viable to least viable, we laid it out in a matrix, highlighting what our next steps would look like.
Proposed Strategy
Why "reimagine" Housing works?
Attract locals and tourists through storytelling
Bring NYC and its history into the store experience
Highlight their mission through the experience
Vision
To be a representative of New York City by providing a safe platform for expression and education.
Mission
By giving a second life to belongings and a second chance to people, Housing Works gets inspired and gives hope to the innumerable lives of the city of New York.
Online Communications Strategy
We focused on creating a cohesive and impactful online communication strategy that highlights the brand's mission, storytelling, and aesthetic consistency.
Social Media
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The mockup showcases Housing Works’ signature pink color throughout the feed, ensuring visual cohesion while allowing flexibility for other brand colors.
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The Instagram account would feature event promotions, curated thrift collections, and storytelling content that connects purchases to Housing Works' mission.
Website
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Designed a cohesive layout that integrates the thrift shop’s branding while emphasizing the organization's mission and stories of individuals positively impacted by Housing Works.
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Simplified navigation and visually engaging elements to improve user experience.
In-store Communications and Experience Strategy
Our reimagined in-store strategy focuses on creating an immersive, location-specific experience while maintaining core brand assets across all thrift shops. This transforms Housing Works thrift stores and the bookstore into experiential spaces that reflect their mission while engaging diverse audiences.
Branding & Merchandising
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To strengthen brand visibility, we introduced branded aprons for employees, signage that reflect New York City, and dedicated display areas for storytelling and merchandise. These elements reinforce Housing Works' identity while creating a polished retail experience.
Neighborhood Storytelling Corner
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Each store features a dedicated area celebrating its location’s history and culture. For example:
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A conversation corner with locally relevant décor.
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Mannequins showcasing staff picks that reflect the neighborhood’s fashion aesthetic.
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Wall art providing educational content about the neighborhood’s history.
Mission-Focused Displays
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Drawing inspiration from the website redesign, we proposed using wall space to showcase stories of New Yorkers whose lives have been transformed by Housing Works. This reinforces the brand’s “second chances” narrative and ensures customers understand how their purchases contribute to meaningful change
Success Metrics
Rebrand of Housing Works
Improved overall brand perception
Higher social media engagement
Rise in volunteer sign up under new brand
Increased website feedback and traffic
In-Store Experience of Housing Works
Average time spent in store is higher
Improved donation conversion rates
Frequency of return
visits
% of customers who post about their visit
Prototype
Execution of the In-Store Experience
To test our reimagined in-store experience, we transformed a classroom into a mock thrift shop by organizing a donation drive, and replicated the reimagination of the West Village branch of Housing Works Thrift shop
The layout incorporated modular aspects inspired by the West Village thrift store, such as diagonal clothing racks reflecting the neighborhood’s street grid.
Core brand assets, including pink hangers, NYC-inspired signage, and ambient lighting, were prominently featured to ensure consistency.
We displayed wall art that narrated the history of West Village, creating an educational and engaging environment. A dedicated storytelling corner featured curated staff picks and neighborhood-inspired décor, enhancing the connection between visitors and the store’s local identity.
Visitors experienced a curated playlist, ambient lighting, and subtle scents designed to create a memorable shopping atmosphere.
Feedback was gathered through forms and word-of-mouth conversations. Participants responded positively, noting the immersive sensory experience and expressing interest in learning about the neighborhood through visual storytelling.
Conclusion
Project Learnings
Through this project, I gained valuable insights into transforming a well-established brand like Housing Works into a vibrant, mission-driven destination. I learned that cohesive branding and storytelling are crucial in connecting customers to the brand’s social impact. By integrating local relevance and sensory design, we can create inclusive experiences that drive engagement and loyalty. Additionally, I saw firsthand how digital-physical synergy can amplify reach and advocacy, underscoring the importance of aligning metrics with both mission and margin. This experience reinforced my approach to "design for impact", emphasizing empathy-driven systems that scale social change.