Branding & Identity Systems | 2017-2019
Bold Branding for a Growing Community: Visual Identity and Collateral Designed to Empower and Connect
Content
Introduction
Overview
Creative Direction
Design Process
Build & Refine
Reviews & Approvals
Final Design
Outcome
Reflection
Introduction
PDX Women In Technology
Portland Women in Tech (PDXWIT) was a nonprofit organization dedicated to building a community that empowers, supports, and celebrates women and underrepresented groups in technology. I first connected with the team during a rebranding effort aimed at creating a more inclusive and contemporary identity that reflected the energy, creativity, and diversity of its growing community. I was immediately drawn to the project because of PDXWIT’s mission and its commitment to representation and belonging in tech.
I led the creative development of the new brand identity, from early concept exploration to final logo and brand guidelines. My goal was to design a system that felt modern and adaptable while maintaining warmth and approachability. Through careful consideration of color, typography, and symbolism, I worked to build a visual language that communicates strength, inclusivity, and optimism. These qualities represent both the organization and the people who make up its community.
Role
Lead Volunteer Brand Designer
Timeline
2017-2019
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Team
PDXWIT leadership, PDXWIT Board
Deliverables
Logo System, Color Palette, Typography, Brand Guidelines
Overview
What is the PDXWIT Brand?
At its core, the PDXWIT brand represents connection and inclusion. It’s the visual embodiment of a community that welcomes, uplifts, and celebrates women and underrepresented groups in technology. The organization had already built a strong network and reputation, but its visual identity no longer reflected its energy or the breadth of its impact.
The goal of the rebrand was to create an identity that could evolve alongside the organization and speak to its values more clearly. The new system needed to feel confident yet approachable, professional yet vibrant, and authentic to the people who make up the PDXWIT community.
This project became more than just a logo redesign. It was an opportunity to translate the organization’s spirit into a cohesive and flexible brand language. Every design decision, from color and type to the geometry of the mark, was guided by a desire to create something that feels human, hopeful, and unmistakably PDXWIT.
Creative Direction
PDXWIT needed a brand to reflect the energy and diversity of its community
As PDXWIT continued to grow, its existing visual identity no longer captured the vibrancy or inclusivity that defined its community. The leadership team recognized that the brand needed a fresh and modern voice that would reflect its mission and speak to a wider audience. I saw this as an opportunity to help shape how the organization presented itself visually and emotionally, creating a brand that felt aligned with its values and momentum.
The brief
What kind of visual identity could capture the inclusivity and energy of this community?
Hypothesis: If the brand reflects the diversity, strength, and creativity of the PDXWIT community, then it will build stronger recognition and foster deeper connections among members, partners, and sponsors.
I believed that a thoughtful, human-centered approach to branding could help PDXWIT stand out and stay true to its mission. My goal was to build a system that balanced clarity with warmth, professionalism with personality, and modernity with approachability. The creative direction centered on designing an identity that felt empowering, optimistic, and unmistakably rooted in community.
Design Process
Establishing the foundation for the rebrand
The PDXWIT rebrand began with a series of early conversations with leadership and key stakeholders to understand the organization’s mission, audience, and future goals. My role was to translate those insights into a visual language that could grow with the organization. This stage involved reviewing the existing materials, learning what was and wasn’t working, and setting clear expectations for timeline, deliverables, and feedback cycles.
Understanding the Organization
Gathering Visual and Verbal Context
I performed a light brand audit of the existing materials, including logos, color systems, social media graphics, and event collateral. I also reviewed how similar community-based nonprofits and advocacy groups approached their brand identities. The goal was not to imitate but to find gaps and opportunities for PDXWIT to stand apart.
Aligning Expectations and Goals
Once I had gathered enough context, I worked with the leadership team to outline goals for the new identity. These included improving consistency across digital and print materials, creating an adaptable logo system, and ensuring accessibility across media. This alignment helped set a clear creative direction and defined what success would look like for everyone involved.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
Insights from visual and competitive research
In addition to internal discovery, I conducted research to better understand how other organizations used branding to communicate community, inclusivity, and empowerment. This helped inform the visual tone and guided early concept development. I paid close attention to how color, type, and geometry could work together to create a strong and inclusive presence.
Learning from Broader Design Patterns
I studied how other community-focused organizations used visual identity systems to express belonging and inclusion. I found that successful examples often used bold but friendly design elements and clear, legible typography to convey openness and trust.
Identifying Gaps and Opportunities
Some nonprofit brands felt either too corporate or too casual. I wanted PDXWIT to strike a balance, showing professionalism and credibility while remaining welcoming and human. This became an important guiding principle in shaping the creative direction.
Clarifying Design Priorities
Image caption / Image Caption
Build & Refine
Crafting a brand that reflects connection and inclusivity
The goal of the rebrand was to create a visual identity that captured the heart of Portland Women in Tech (PDXWIT): empowerment, connection, and inclusivity.
From the beginning, I wanted the brand to feel approachable and confident, balancing the professionalism of a nonprofit organization with the warmth of a supportive community.
I started by exploring typography, color, and shape systems that could reflect the diversity and energy within the PDXWIT network. The logo evolved through several iterations, each focusing on how best to represent unity and forward movement. I experimented with visual forms that suggested connection and progress, testing combinations that would hold up across digital and print platforms.
Once the logo direction felt strong, I refined the broader visual system, including color palettes, type hierarchies, and graphic elements that could extend into event materials and social media. I wanted the identity to feel flexible and accessible, able to grow alongside the organization as it expanded its reach and programming.
Defining the visual language
Every design choice supported the goal of creating an inclusive, welcoming identity.
The final system celebrates individuality within unity, reinforcing PDXWIT’s mission of empowering women and underrepresented groups in technology.
Vibrant Color System
A color palette inspired by diversity and optimism, designed to feel modern and inclusive.
Bold, Approachable Typography
Typefaces chosen for their clarity and friendliness, balancing professionalism with warmth.
Logo as Connection
A mark that symbolizes strength through unity and forward movement.
Scalable Visual System
Flexible guidelines built to adapt to social media, event collateral, and future digital applications.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
With each refinement, the brand began to feel more authentic to the community it represents, striking a balance between confidence, inclusivity, and approachability.
Reviews & Approvals
Refining the brand through collaboration and feedback
Throughout the design process, I collaborated closely with PDXWIT’s leadership team and board members to review concepts and gather feedback. Each round of discussion brought new perspectives that helped shape the brand into something the entire organization could feel proud of.
Image caption / Image Caption
Initial concepts explored several directions in color, typography, and tone. Some leaned bold and geometric, while others felt softer and more human-centered. The team was drawn to the idea of warmth and inclusivity paired with professionalism. Their feedback helped refine the balance between expressive and structured elements, ensuring the final brand felt both confident and welcoming.
As the brand evolved, feedback from leadership and board members guided thoughtful adjustments to the logo form, typography, and color palette. Accessibility and inclusivity were top priorities, so contrast and legibility were refined to ensure clarity across applications. By the final review, the new identity received full support from the team, marking a shared sense of pride in how it represented PDXWIT’s values and future.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
Final Design Overview
Bringing the new brand to life
Once the logo and visual identity were finalized, I prepared the brand assets for launch. This included logo variations, color and typography specifications, and usage guidelines to keep everything cohesive. I also developed templates and resources to help the PDXWIT team confidently apply the new brand in their day-to-day work.
As the rollout began, I worked alongside the leadership team to support the transition. There were questions, small refinements, and a few unexpected challenges along the way, but each one helped strengthen how the brand performed across digital and print touchpoints.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
Seeing the new identity come to life across PDXWIT’s website, events, and communications was deeply meaningful. It represented not just a design solution but the spirit of a community that empowers, uplifts, and creates space for connection. Watching people embrace it and make it their own was one of the most rewarding parts of the process.
This project reminded me why I love brand design. When done well, it goes beyond visuals, builds trust, and helps people see themselves as part of something bigger. I’m proud to have contributed to a visual foundation that will continue to evolve and support PDXWIT’s mission for years to come.
A. Final Design / Color and Typography
Creating a visual language that feels authentic and inclusive
Building a cohesive identity for PDXWIT meant choosing colors and typefaces that reflected both professionalism and warmth. The color palette centered on deep purples and bright accent tones, inspired by the organization’s commitment to diversity and empowerment. These choices helped the brand stand apart from typical tech-oriented aesthetics while still feeling grounded and confident.
Typography followed a similar mindset. I paired a modern sans-serif for headers with a clean, legible body type that worked well across digital and print applications. This combination allowed flexibility for both long-form communication and quick social updates, maintaining clarity and consistency.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
Together, these decisions built a foundation for accessibility, inclusivity, and energy. The system balanced bold visual expression with a strong sense of belonging, setting the tone for all future brand applications.
The result was a mark and system that felt vibrant and alive, something the team and community could be proud to stand behind.
B. Final Design / Building the Brand Guidelines
Establishing structure for a growing organization
Once the visual direction was finalized, I developed a detailed brand guidelines document to help the team apply the identity consistently. The guide covered logo usage, color ratios, typography rules, and tone of imagery. It served as both a teaching tool and a quality benchmark for anyone creating materials for PDXWIT.
I established visual patterns that tied every piece together through color, typography, and hierarchy. This made it easy for volunteers and internal staff to create new pieces without starting from scratch each time.
Image caption / Image Caption
Image caption / Image Caption
Testing the materials in different formats helped me refine alignment, spacing, and accessibility. Small adjustments like font size and color contrast improved both usability and legibility.
These refinements made the brand more adaptable, helping PDXWIT present a unified voice across every event while saving time and reducing design fatigue for the team.
Outcome
The new brand gave PDXWIT a confident and cohesive identity that reflected its mission and community.
The final brand system brought clarity and unity to every touchpoint, from event signage to social graphics. Leadership and board members were thrilled to see how the new look captured both professionalism and approachability. For me, seeing the identity come to life across so many applications was deeply rewarding. It represented more than just a visual refresh. It gave the organization a strong foundation to grow, connect, and continue empowering women and underrepresented groups in tech.
Reflection
Building a brand that reflected a community’s identity was both exciting and humbling.
Every stage of this project reminded me that strong design grows from listening, collaboration, and care. I wasn’t just creating a logo, I was helping shape how an organization represented its values and people. The process deepened my understanding of what it means to build a brand that connects with both heart and purpose.
1. Listen first, design second
2. Simplicity builds confidence
3. Consistency creates trust
This project reminded me how powerful design can be when it reflects the people behind it. Seeing PDXWIT use the identity to amplify its voice and connect with its community has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. It reaffirmed why I love building brands that help organizations tell their stories with authenticity and purpose.
Previous
Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet,
Next