Project
Design event branding for annual summer learning program.
Client
Chattanooga Public Library
Year
2023
My Role
Logo design, graphic design, brand design
Make.Play.Read.Learn. is the Chattanooga Public Library’s annual summer reading program for all ages. Throughout the summer participants are incentivized with prizes to read books, complete activities, and visit community partners, such as the aquarium or the art museum.
My job was to design a new logo and brand identity for the event, keeping in mind the library’s already established brand, the need to appeal to all ages, and the need to be able to use the new visuals, year after year, in a variety of formats.
Make.Play.Read.Learn. began as a way to keep kids and teenagers engaged during the summer, and has since evolved to include all ages. Participants are invited to a vast array of programs in and outside of the library that involve anything from DIY crafts, to movies, music, games, and more.
Given the nature of the event I thought it made the most sense (and would be the most fun) to get the kids involved in this project as well. So I asked the library’s Head of Youth Services to reach out to all five library branches and request that they begin collecting drawings from all of their littlest patrons.
The prompt was simple: draw any imaginary creature you like! Over the next couple of months I received dozens of children’s illustrations that I was then able to vectorize and source for brand visuals and inspiration.
As cute as the children’s illustrations are, they are clearly meant to appeal to other children and may actually discourage older ages from participating.
To avoid this issue, I experimented with pulling inspiration from the organic shapes that emerged from the drawings and used those to create patterns and imagery that could be utilized in promotional materials for all ages.
Following the overall theme of hand drawn, fluid, organic shapes, I was inspired to create an illustrated logotype by choosing one of the children’s imaginary creatures and filling it in with very loose, squishy, lettering.
The end result is a logo that looks like it could just as easily have been created with Play-Doh or slime. Conceptually it leans heavily on the hands-on nature of the event.
The color palette and fonts used in this design are sourced from the already established brand identity for the Chattanooga Public Library.
