Brand Evolution
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
VISUAL IDENTITY SYSTEM
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
As our mission evolved, so did our brand. Our brand guidelines used the summer 2020 quarantine to get in shape, refocus themselves, and lose a few pages.
I streamlined three volumes into one, crafted a vision statement and infused our guidelines with a fun, personable tone. The new guidelines are lighter, more flexible, and easier to use -- and a whole lot of fun to read. These guidelines were launched in tandem with a fresh presentation deck template, standardized icons, and font licenses for every computer.
THE PROBLEM
The brand guidelines were stale, cumbersome, and unused. Colors were outdated. There were too many typefaces. And there was confusion on logo usage and how to pair colors. Three volumes with numerous rules made the guidelines difficult to use and deploy to field staff across the country. This resulted in inconsistent visuals and a fractured brand presence, hurting equity and trust with the community.
A brand evolution can’t take place within a vacuum. Six months of research among internal stakeholders revealed several difficulties within the guidelines. Focus grouping at key design and approval stages fostered stakeholder buy-in and investment in the final product.
COLOR
Some of the colors were outdated and unused. We swapped a mucus green with a bright apple, a garnet red for a more urgent tone, and removed a brown. We also incorporated some colors that were being used “unofficially” and added clearer boundaries between core colors and the secondary palette.
TYPE
The previous version of the guidelines listed almost 10 different typefaces. We stripped these out, and defined three core typefaces, giving examples of when each would be used.
Research
Unity, not uniformity
It became clear during the research phase that users needed more guidance on when they needed to stick closely to core brand guidelines and when they could incorporate secondary colors/optional script typefaces. We established the concept of brand rings. By identifying the purpose of a piece at the beginning, users are able to easily identify when to use which parts of the guidelines. Core materials that have a long shelf life stick to the inner ring, while temporary/seasonal assets can have more exploration. Asking, “Is this timeless or temporary?” is the first step to knowing where your piece lands.
Visual Identity System
The new guidelines went from three bulky volumes to one streamlined edition. It was immediately easier to use, and enthusiastically embraced by users across the country. We held multiple trainings, teaching why brand is important, what constitutes our visual identity, and how no touchpoint is too small.
ICONS
The new brand guidelines also launched with a suite of standardized icons in SVG format, allowing users to employ consistent visuals across multiple mediums.
Sub-Brand Logos
The brand evolution also included refined guidelines for sub-brand logo creation. The Foundation hosts hundreds of events across the country annually, and getting each of these sub brands aligned was an important step. Logo creation guidelines provided three main areas for logo compliance: lockup, colors, and typeface. Every sub event logo went through a re-approval process.
