Within the city of Surrey, the urban Indigenous population has grown significantly over the past few decades. By 2023, over 16,000 Indigenous people called Surrey home—the largest urban Indigenous population in any municipality in BC. Yet despite this growth, their needs for meaningful gathering spaces, cultural safekeeping, and advocacy channels often went unmet. That’s where Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (SUILC, pronounced SWILL-see) came in. Founded in 2015, SUILC has been working ever since to bridge these gaps, creating spaces for connection, leadership, and shared vision.
Despite SUILC’s deep community ties, their digital presence didn’t reflect the warmth and energy of their work. Their gatherings and research activities were thriving, but their website didn’t match the human-to-human magic that defines SUILC. Simply put, they needed an online home that felt as inviting as the spaces they create in real life. More than just a redesign, they needed brand strategy to ensure their identity was clearly communicated online.
What We Heard, and What We Built
When we got the call from Harriet VanWart, SUILC’s senior adviser, we couldn’t believe our luck. As two people who grew up in Surrey but didn’t meaningfully grow to appreciate its Indigeneity until later, the opportunity to help tell the stories of urban Indigenous people felt like an incredible responsibility—and a privilege.
As we do with every project, we started with listening. Through interviews and conversations, we engaged several members of the SUILC team, elders, colleagues from the City of Surrey, and leaders from the broader community. Each conversation reaffirmed SUILC’s interconnectedness and impact. Harriet reflected on how important that process was: “Unless prompted, these things don’t necessarily get expressed. It’s grounding to share this, and amazing to have you hear it—then translate it into our website design.”
That deep listening shaped everything. The navigation became simpler, ensuring users—many of whom arrive in urgent need—could find the help they needed without friction. The language became more human, less institutional. The design? It wasn’t just about aesthetics; it was about feeling like SUILC—approachable, rooted, and real.
Co-Creation Over Prescription
We don’t approach projects with rigid blueprints—we co-create. Harriet shared that she felt fully supported throughout the process, always able to reach out without hesitation. That trust made space for creative problem-solving, for building a digital home that truly reflected SUILC’s values.
Your approach to asking thoughtful questions and listening with interest is such an inspiration. It’s a bit like opening the door—creating space for new approaches, ideas, and creativity to emerge.
The result? A website that interweaves elements of Surrey’s urban core with the colours, textures, and Indigenous characteristics present within SUILC’s brand. Through large-format photography, first-person testimonials, and an easy-to-access research library, SUILC’s new website isn’t just a tool—it’s a reflection of the people it serves. The project also reinforced Harc Creative’s expertise as a Canadian creative agency specializing in brand strategy and website design.
The Big Lesson? Listening Is Never Wasted Time.
SUILC’s work is deeply human, and its digital presence needed to reflect that. And that only happens when we take the time to hear what matters most. Harriet’s advice to leaders starting a project like this? “Trust that taking the time to listen is time well spent. People want to be heard, and this goes a long way.”
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
