In honor of our community-powered organization reaching our 10th anniversary, we reflected on years of insights and survey data, your comments and questions, and the barriers to access that existed within our own resources and website. The PMD Alliance staff was adamant – 2025 is the year we make space to tackle these issues and give our community a mobile-friendly, readable space where finding what you need is actually easy. The old website and brand gave us 10 fantastic years, but as our community’s needs and priorities evolve, our tools must evolve as well to remain relevant, accessible resources.
The new brand and website were developed almost entirely in-house by our Communications team with guidance every step of the way from PMD Alliance CEO Andréa Merriam-Crespo, Chief Strategy Officer Rebecca Korduner, and Chief Programs Officer Anissa Mitchell, LCSW. Because we chose not to utilize an outside agency for the primary design, content, and functionality, we know each aspect has been carefully created by someone who knows and cares deeply for our community and their needs.
We started in late 2024, first revisiting the Ecosystem model developed in our early years by a group of graduate students with input from the community. It’s a beloved tool, but in its original form, our discussions revealed that it leaves some important players out and casts people with a movement disorder as passive bystanders the other networks orbit – when we know they are active experts in their own experience. Our new, simplified Movement Disorders Ecosystem incorporates all the features you loved about the original (including a printable to create your own Network of Support) but it’s more inclusive, easier to remember, and it’s literally our new logo.
Once we decided on the four new networks – Personal, Community, Provider, and Access – Associate Creative Director Regan Hinshaw used them to form the basis for the new logo and brand. PMD Alliance’s work ripples across communities and experiences, connecting a diverse circle of people and creating a collective impact, and we feel she captured that spirit perfectly. When all our networks move together toward a common goal, our impact has always multiplied – and now, so does our entire brand!
Each phase of this rebrand was carefully planned and no decision was made overnight. For instance, there were many meetings about how best to streamline our values to better highlight and preserve our culture, seeking insights from PMD Alliance founder and former CEO Sarah Jones to ensure we were being faithful to the organization’s roots. One of our main goals for the new website was to make resources easier for people to find, so when we invited community members test the site, we asked them to locate something on our old site then the new one. Their outstanding feedback told us we were going in the right direction, as well as what we still needed to polish.
The biggest challenge for most of the PMD Alliance staff during this process was letting go of the old to embrace the new, because change – even good, needed change – can be hard. And if you’re struggling with that aspect, we understand, and we’re here to help you through this transition. We’re just an email away if you have questions.
With the new Directory coming soon to help you find local groups, providers, and more, this website will not be a stagnant platform. It was specifically created with flexibility in mind – designed to grow and change like our Ecosystem. So don’t be shy with your thoughts! We’re eager to hear them, even the critiques, so we can keep improving and evolving.
Throughout the process, we kept internally describing this project as “a love letter to our community”, and that couldn’t be more true. From our streamlined Resource Library sorted by perspective to our new PMD Alliance merch shop filled with wearable conversation starters, you can see the careful, authentic touches made with you and your needs in mind.
Thank you to everyone who helped us see this to fruition! We are so grateful to have the trust and support of a vibrant community of the best possible people.
– The PMD Alliance Team
