School’s Out Washington (SOWA) is the longest running Afterschool Youth Development (AYD) intermediary in the nation, supporting and enhancing youth development programs across Washington State through training, funding and advocacy. To enliven the colors and create a clean, friendly brand, we designed a vibrant logo with soft rounded edges to communicate youthfulness and approachability. The graphic of the youth reaching upward signifies realization of potential. The arm shapes break out of the circle to symbolize unlimited possibility. The arms are also positioned at 3 o’clock to represent afterschool.
“Strengthening Programs, Empowering Youth.”
Guided by the core values of quality, equity, connection and innovation, the School’s Out mission is to foster productive partnerships that create inspiring opportunities for Washington’s youth to learn, grow and thrive, because what’s good for our youth is good for all of us. This new tagline clearly describes the two primary goals and functions of the organization.
With a strong, flexible brand in place, we began to apply it across marketing collateral such as a brochure and annual report. As we worked through the pieces, we developed icons, infographics and additional text standards. When it came to the website, we worked with the SOWA team to provide a plan for a new content architecture and updated interactive design concept that incorporated the new branding. They incorporated many of these suggestions into their live site until they are ready for an overhaul.
