New leadership called for a redesign of the existing brand identity and a revamped, impactful, intuitive website that reflects the resilient Texas based non-profit organization created to prevent gun violence.
Texas Gun Sense is a nonprofit with the critical mission of making the state safer by eliminating gun deaths and other gun violence in Texas. Founded in 2013, Texas Gun Sense works to impact and promote safe gun legislation in the state. The work that the organization is doing is so important, and yet their message was getting lost in an antiquated site that didn’t support company goals of building awareness of the issue of gun violence. Further, disseminating information, arguably one of the key functions of the site, was made difficult due to poor navigation.
The brand revamp grew out of the client’s need for a clean, professional, no-nonsense identity to convey both the seriousness of the issue (preventing gun violence) as well as the hopeful positivity with which they approach their goals of a safer Texas for all residents. In order to create an identity that would express optimism yet remain grounded, I focused on color and typographic simplicity to convey the organization’s message.
The original Texas Gun Sense logo was designed to replicate the Texas state flag. New leadership wanted to retain a link to the existing brand identity but make it less referential. I revamped the logo, updating the typeface to Open Sans. Confident yet friendly, this typeface represents the clear direction in which Texas Gun Sense is heading.
The original Texas Gun Sense colors referenced the Texas flag, yet were dark and serious. I brightened the palette and added secondary colors to present a positive and uplifting visual identity. The client wanted to keep the star (present in the Texas state flag) as part of their logo, and so I drew upon that shape to create other shapes and patterns to use throughout their materials.
The identity raises the profile of Texas Gun Sense and reminds the Texas community that the safety of all Texans is pursued by a nonprofit that depends on their support.
The strong typography of the identity is the focus of a new, more consistent branding the heightens the nonprofit’s presence.
Texas Gun Sense was founded 10 years ago, and it’s website reflected that age. The site was antiquated, cluttered, and difficult to navigate. It didn’t represent the organization as it is, which is as a crucial community of like-minded individuals and groups that optimistically look forward and navigate the changing landscape of Texas politics to build alliances and create lasting change in the years to come. My goal in redesigning their website was to create a better, more cohesive brand experience for website visitors.
With the goal of educating the public on issues that affect gun violence and providing actionable steps for the community, I focused on clear hierarchy and color blocking to present serious information in digestible bites and help the user understand complex issues easily.
