Visual Identity Design & Messaging

Contributions

Identity and messaging for a leadership transition

Worked in partnership with church leaders to create a visual identity and messaging to communicate the organizational transfer of leadership due to the passing of its founder. The brand message needed careful focus: maintain heritage, inspire the organization to move forward together, and not ostracize long-term congregation members.

Research process

Talked to people and captured moments

Took time to attend community events and talk to leaders to gain insight into the impact the church has provided throughout the years. Spending time talking to people helped drive a deeper connection to the design work beyond deliverables, and grounded me in the need to create a message that leaders could adopt.

Walked the campus and did an online audit to scope design opportunities for the rebrand: where design could be enhanced on campus, in print, and online, and how best to socialize the new design so ministry departments could implement it into their work.

Go broad, to go narrow

Started with ideas

Rather than planning out the brand identity message first, the better decision was to just let the creative juices flow. Ideas were presented to the creative director on the project, and we chose a final logo to iterate on and build a message around.

Final outcome

Two logos & a whole lot of design work

The decision was made as a team to implement a primary and secondary logo for situations where interchangeability was necessary, or where one logo may not feel right in a chosen context. The concept behind the brand identity became clearer as iterations of the logo drew to a close.

Visual identity & message

A torch and a cross

A torch and a cross: a representation of enlightenment, faith, and hope. The inspiration draws from the positive historical representations of torches used in processions, athletic and religious events around the world. The Olympic Games used the lighting of torches to symbolize peace, tolerance, friendship, and the initiation of festivities. The Statue of Liberty holds a torch, lighting the way to freedom and the path of liberty.

The passing of torches within many societies represented the concept of regenerative transfer of power from one individual to another. Even though Dr. Zachary Tims is no longer with his congregation, every volunteer, leader, and community member can now take hold of their purposeful role in "carrying the torch" forward towards seeing his vision come to pass.

Web design

Proposing a new website

Modernizing the website was also within the project scope, bringing more visuals into the layout to communicate the culture of the ministry. The web designs produced were provocations to spark discussions about the direction of the online presence.

Reflections

Lessons from pro bono work

• Non-profits don't always see the long game When working with an organization that uses its resources carefully, take time to teach and show the value of every design decision presented for consideration.
• You create the best work when you're having fun Full creative freedom stretched me to research how to build the ideas I proposed: the illuminated sign in the church entrance, teardrop signs in the parking lot, and working with media teams to socialize the work.
• Your designs won't live forever Today the church has been renamed and no longer utilizes this brand identity. Learn to let go: the work you produced represents a moment in time that served your client well. Honor the work, but don't build your self-esteem around your designs living in perpetuity.