Explore how See Girl Work partnered with Friends of Sorauren Park to design a vibrant, community-focused website that reflects the heart of Toronto’s High Park neighbourhood.
When the Friends of Sorauren Park reached out, they shared a clear vision: a website that felt like the park itself — welcoming, vibrant, and deeply rooted in community life.
Their existing site had served them well for years, but with growing programming, seasonal events, volunteer opportunities, and the highly anticipated Wabash Community Centre underway, it was time for a digital home that could carry the next chapter.
From the very beginning, this project felt personal. Sorauren Park isn’t just a green space. It’s a gathering place. A landmark. A neighbourhood heartbeat. And the website needed to honour that. Not with templates or shortcuts, but with intentional design, clear storytelling, and a collaborative process from start to finish.
A Partnership Built on Purpose
The Friends of Sorauren Park — formally the Wabash Building Society — is a volunteer-led organization that has poured decades of care into stewarding Sorauren Park in Toronto’s High Park neighbourhood.
Their board brings a blend of history, vision, and genuine community commitment. We felt that energy in every meeting.
Their collaboration shaped the project in all the best ways. Feedback was grounded in real community needs. Reviews were timely and clear. And every creative decision connected back to one core question: How can the website reflect the spirit of Sorauren Park?
As they shared in their launch announcement:
“The site introduces our revitalized colour palette, puts events front and centre, and pulls together all the information you need to know about the park and the forthcoming Wabash Community Centre.” We couldn’t have said it better.
Custom Design for a Neighbourhood Landmark
At See Girl Work, every website we deliver is custom — designed intentionally, built for people, and grounded in the organization’s identity. For Sorauren Park, that meant creating a visual system that felt bright, warm, and local.
The custom design system for Sorauren Park’s new website included:
- A refreshed colour palette inspired by the park’s natural textures
- Clean, intuitive layouts for community updates, events, and news
- Large photo-driven sections to bring the park to life online
- Custom iconography for seasonal programming — from outdoor movies to the Pumpkin Parade
These playful, creative details will help visitors immediately recognize the energy of the park, even before they step foot in it.
Sitemap, wireframe and visual design concept
Development in Functionality & Flexibility
For a volunteer-driven organization, ease of use was non-negotiable. The site needed to be beautiful, yes — but it also needed to be manageable, intuitive, and built for long-term sustainability.
We developed a custom WordPress site with:
- Events integration via The Events Calendar
- A real-time Instagram feed, giving visitors a window into daily park life
- Custom post types for Events, Programs, Park Features, Permits, Supporters, and News
- A lightweight, accessible tech stack, hosted on SiteGround ensuring fast load times and mobile usability
Everything was built with a simple goal: empower the Friends of Sorauren Park team to update, adapt, and grow the site independently.
A True Collaboration From Start to Launch
This project began in February 2025 and officially launched in October — eight months of shared ideas, clear communication, and genuine partnership. The board championed this work every step of the way and brought a clarity that made the project a pleasure to deliver.
As board chair Joël Campbell shared:
“We’ve built this site to celebrate all the ways people come together at Sorauren Park. To play, skate, garden, watch movies, and just enjoy being outside.” That’s exactly what we hoped to honour through this redesign.
Explore the New Digital Home
At See Girl Work, we design websites that help mission-driven organizations show up with clarity, confidence, and heart.
As a boutique agency, we take the time to deeply understand your community, your goals, and the realities of your day-to-day — then build digital spaces that are intuitive, accessible, and beautifully aligned with your values.
Our work is rooted in collaboration, creative design, and a commitment to making the web feel less overwhelming and more empowering for nonprofit teams.
And, when your site goes live, we stay with you: offering guidance, updates, and support so your digital home continues to grow alongside your mission.
Explore the full Sorauren Park website and case study to see how we brought this community-centred design to life: https://seegirlwork.com/work/sorauren-park
