Almost four years ago, when we started Generation Citizen (which actually was first called the Generation Citizenship Project…I would say we had a positive name change), we weren’t thinking much about our brand. With very little guidance, the estimable Curt Fitzpatrick, a graphic designer who I worked with back in my Darfur activism days, designed our first logo, which then dictated our first colors. It’s actually worked pretty well for four years.
But today, we’re launching a new look- a new logo, a new colors, and a new way to talk about ourselves. After a multi-month engagement with the Taproot Foundation, we’re all really excited about our new brand. Our mission and work is still the same. But we’re hopeful that this look gets people even more excited about our momentum.
There’s a few key aspects to note as you take a look around our new website and look:
- We want to be edgier: We felt that the light blue look of before was a little bland, and even a little corporate. We are a young organization that works with young people, and wants them excited about political action. We think these colors, and this logo, are a little bolder.
- We’re going national: A key part of the logo is a map of the entire United States of America. With our opening of the Bay Area office this year, we are showing that we are truly a national organization that wants to change the way the entire country thinks about educating our young people to become active citizens.
- We’re getting a little more political: The word “politics” is such a dirty word in today’s lexicon. But I want to start to embrace it. GC is all about young people becoming politically active. Not partisan. But working together in community to identify the root cause of societal problems and fix them. That is the true meaning of politics. So that’s why we want to talk about it.
A surprising amount goes into changing a logo and look, so thanks to all that made it happen. An extra big thanks goes to James Whale, our web designer, the entire team that worked with us at the Taproot Foundation (Mark, Smitha, Susan, Luciana, and Karen), our Board member Tom Panitz, and our entire staff, especially Mary McCarty, and former Managing Director Daniel Millenson, who started this process with us.
We hope that you enjoy it. Check back frequently- we’ll be updating our news and blog. And let us know what you think!
~Scott Warren, Executive Director