Fresh Dialogue Justice by Design
I attended an AIGA event about the importance of brand strategy and visual identity in the nonprofit/social justice sector. The event was Moderatred by David Perrin of the Ford Foundation and the panel consisted of creative leaders from three agencies:
Sloan Leo Cowan (they/he) of Flox studio
Andrew Banks (he/him) of A-B Partners
Ramy Nagy (he/him) of Modeo
The event was insightful and reaffirmed that the story we tell through branding is even more important in the non-profit/social justice space. Below are some of my notes from the event and parts that stood out the most for me:
My Takeaways
-
Effective design and branding are similar to organizational leadership.
When you support nonprofits, you're not just buying a product or service. You're making a meaningful contribution to their mission.
Nonprofits require a clear and robust brand for success, built through stories.
-
Design is crucial for nonprofits to convey authenticity and address critical issues on par with Fortune 500 companies.
-
Know your audience to create effective branding and storytelling that aligns with your organization's mission.
Community-centered design involves creating community-led solutions with the involvement of everyone, from frontline staff to leadership.
-
Nonprofits need diverse leadership to make decisions that align with their values.
Removing the barriers to entry allows talented, diverse people to apply
Representation matters; avoid stereotypes. Talk to people to understand their perspectives.
-
Demystify design for nonprofits
Build a design ecosystem where designers can learn and grow professionally to tackle ambitious projects.
-
Focus on career & daily actions for justice. Build a community where you live.
-
Craft your story and control the narrative.
A mismatched story = missed connections.
-
Success requires solid connections and honest conversations.
Empathy and selflessness are crucial.
Prioritize clear communication over fancy design.
Create a design system that enables non-designers to contribute effectively.
Thriving here requires interdisciplinary thinking.
How important is it for a nonprofit organization as a whole to have a strong sense of design & branding?
“Strong design and branding for an organization is synonymous with leadership.”
Like effective leadership, design and branding play a crucial role in organizational success. Robust design and branding provide a clear and consistent message that aligns with the organization's mission. Design answers the questions: "What do we do?" and "Why do we do it?" On the other hand, branding goes beyond design to showcase the organization's personality and demeanor. When individuals can connect with this identity, they are more likely to engage, support, and contribute towards the organization's mission.
When you buy something from a store, you usually get a physical item or service in exchange. However, when you donate to a non-profit organization, you give money to support their cause. This is where the story behind the non-profit becomes essential, and it can be effectively conveyed through branding.
“Asking if a nonprofit needs a brand is like asking does a nonprofit need a story?”
Nonprofits rely heavily on the power of storytelling. Having a compelling narrative is just as important as having a well-defined brand. A strong story sets a nonprofit apart from others and helps convey its mission. While nonprofits often focus on advocating for policy changes or organizing people, it's essential to recognize that there's always a story behind their efforts. A nonprofit can effectively communicate its mission and increase its impact by crafting a clear and robust brand identity.
What is the importance of nonprofit design to feel elevated. In a consumer saturated space why is it important that nonprofits differentiate themselves not just with their mission but also with their branding?
“elevated is very subjective. What is important is that the nonprofit is authentic to who they are and that it gets to cut through a lot of noise to get to what matters.”
Authenticity is of utmost importance for nonprofit organizations. While the interpretation of "elevated" might vary, the most crucial aspect is that a nonprofit stays loyal to its core values. Design is vital in establishing the nonprofit's hierarchy amid numerous brands, products, and social media clutter. It signals to the audience which information is crucial and demands attention. Design acts as a compass, guiding people through the information overload. Nonprofits have an opportunity to address critical issues with the same level of care and attention that Fortune 500 companies receive.
How do we get our organizations to buy into brand strategy, branding, or rebranding? How do we get leadership to understand its importance?
“The way we think about branding and storytelling in general is you have to start with the audience and so that’s always where the conversation begins.”
It's essential to begin with the audience regarding effective branding and storytelling. A different approach that many organizations take is to rely on polls or executive directors, but this is the case for AB Partners. They use a process called Identity Power Design, which involves engaging directly with the community, especially those most affected by the issue. By starting with a clean slate and listening to their experiences, they gain valuable insights into how they perceive the problem, how power operates, and what changes they desire. This audience-centric conversation helps them develop a strategy aligning with the organization's core mission, ensuring their work is effective and meaningful.
“Community design is queered in that it is inherently poltical. It’s about finding agency for people who haven’t always had it. It’s also about acknowldeging the complexity and the relational elements of what it means to do design”
Sloan started with human-centered design, but they wanted more. Then, they discovered community-centered design, which involves everyone from frontline staff to leadership in co-creating solutions. This approach is more equitable, respects user data, and empowers communities. It's a political process that finds agency for those often unheard of. It also acknowledges the complexity of design.
Why does representation matter in nonprofit work, especially when DEI is disappearing?
“There’s a real opportunity to think about how do we actually involve diversity at the level of governance so that decisions that we start to work on really reflect the values held by the people who work there day to day.”
People often lead small nonprofits from privileged backgrounds. Still, it's essential to recognize these organizations' diverse support base. These individuals come from different backgrounds and bring valuable experiences to the table. For a more equitable and inclusive society, we must actively create opportunities for people from all walks of life to lead and contribute to these organizations.
“I think there’s a piece of this work for all of us while we need to fight for representation and for space inside those places, also recognizing that sometimes those spaces are not where we’re gonna do our most amazing work.”
Andrew struggled for years to increase diversity in nonprofit organizations. Eventually, he decided to start his own company called AB Partners. His primary goal was to eliminate barriers that hindered talented individuals from excelling and attract the best candidates, regardless of their background. His approach resulted in creating a naturally diverse team. This experience led him to believe that in addition to fighting for representation within established organizations, we should also consider making our own spaces where talent can thrive. It's possible that challenging Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) norms may require us to invest in alternative systems.
“Representation is incredibly important. I’m Egyptian but I also don’t speak for all Egyptians.”
We must ensure that we accurately represent people without resorting to stereotypes. One way to do this is by conversing with individuals to understand better their perspectives rather than simply relying on their background. For instance, the staff at the Innocence Project considered themselves to be science-focused. Still, the public held a different perception of them. Such a disparity emphasizes the importance of having open communication channels.
How do we create a better working space for designers to be successful in non-profit?
“Helping people in nonprofit understand what is design, how does it help?”
We must educate nonprofits about design accessibility and impact, reframing designers as collaborators, not outsiders.
“Make resources available for design teams to do mission-driven work but also stay in a job to grow and learn and expand across not months but years so they can grow into these jobs.”
We must provide resources for design teams to work on mission-driven projects while maintaining their current jobs and growing professionally. Nonprofit design means designing within resource constraints. Although large budgets are not necessary, designers do require some funds. AB Partners assists their partners in pitching for more funding and demonstrates that design is a legitimate field. Organizations should fund a design studio where individuals can learn and progress towards taking on more extensive and ambitious projects.
How do we get involved in social impact design?
“Don’t let your impact on justice and liberation be limited to institutional change.”
Only 10% of the economy is made up of nonprofits, which means there's a lot of opportunity for progress toward liberation in other areas. Don't limit your impact to institutional change alone. Get involved in your neighborhood, block, and building - we all need each other.
What are some risks organizations run into when they do not define their brand or mission or lean on it as much as they need to?
“If you don’t inform people they will have their own narrative about your organization and what they’re working on if you don’t have it in a very clear way.”
Organizations should create their own stories to convey their mission and significance. Without a clear message, people may develop perceptions about the organization, which could lead to a lack of support. Therefore, educating people about the organization's purpose and how they can contribute to its cause is essential.
“Sometimes an organizations story is not quite right. If it doesn’t express who we really are you get kind of stuck.”
Mismatched messaging leads to missed connections. Accurate messaging attracts supporters who share your values.
What do you look for in designers who are entering this space?
“Vibes!! It’s about the way people relate.”
Success depends on authentic connections and candid conversations, crucial to enacting organizational change.
“Do you have a sense of empathy? Have you ever cared about an issue before? Like any evidence of that? ”
Empathy and an open mind are essential. The cause should always come first, ahead of our egos. We should prioritize creating accessible content and clear communication rather than focusing on ornamental design. Our design system should be user-friendly and easy for non-designers to contribute effectively.
“We look at people who are able of working with other disciplines who are themselves truly interdisciplinary.”
It's important to have interdisciplinary skills to succeed. AB Partners appreciates designers who can think like researchers, innovative researchers who can be creative, and collaborative strategists who can work collaboratively. AB Partners also seeks candidates who understand how our studio can help them achieve their career aspirations and personal growth.
