Be Social Change is the largest social impact community in New York City. It helps its members do purpose-driven work, create supportive networks, and lead sustainable lifestyles. Be Social Change frequently facilitates engaging events year-round including professional development classes, social entrepreneurship workshops, networking events, and panel discussions.
Problem
I had the pleasure of working with Marcos Salazar, Be Social Change’s co-founder, to redefine the brand and develop a storied brand identity as the company transitioned to a membership model (read the full project story here).
Once the core identity design work was complete, Marcos needed help reintroducing the brand to members in a live event held at the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) in NYC.
Thinking
Design a presentation that provided more than polished mockups of a new logo, but explored the thinking behind the brand identity. The presentation can also provide a reference tool for Marcos to keep the growing Be Social Change organization grounded in its identity.
Finding the Narrative
A lot is considered throughout the course of a brand identity project – especially one that so wonderfully delved deep into introspection as this year-long strategy and design project did. To prepare the reintroduction, I had to find the right points and story beats that moved the narrative of the project forward.
Beginning with what Marcos and I understood our challenge to be and moving through the opportunity that presented, ‘journey’ became the theme of the project’s story and the new brand identity.
Using Mockups to Ease Adoption
I used a few simple and relatable mockups featuring scenes and products that Marcos’s audience would recognize. Like this photo booth picture from a fun mixer Be Social Change had recently organized. I added the new symbol to the sign held by the man in the center. In a way, it shows how the new brand identity fits and flows with what members already love about the company.
Showing Alignment
Impact and social enterprise remain at the center of Be Social Change. To illustrate that, I created another simple and familiar mockup. The water bottle in this photo is designed and sold by a social enterprise located at CSI where many audience members normally meet, work, and attend Be Social Change events.
Result
The reintroduction presentation deeply resonated with Marcos and his founding team. It did a fantastic job of telling the story of the project and explaining the rationale behind key choices made in the design. But the biggest win came from a long-time Be Social Change member who walked up to Marcos at the end of his presentation to share that she saw herself in that journey and in the story of the identity itself. Total satisfaction for me in that one sentiment – which has since been expressed by other members.
Project Stats
Length of project:
About 2 weeks
About 2 weeks
Skills used:
Brand Design, Copywriting, Storytelling
Brand Design, Copywriting, Storytelling
Tools used:
Illustrator, Photoshop, Keynote, Acrobat, Typekit, Unsplash
Illustrator, Photoshop, Keynote, Acrobat, Typekit, Unsplash
