Branding for an arts non-profit based in Boulder, Colorado
This project began as part of a User Experience Research course at the University of Colorado Boulder. After our initial engagement, I continued working with Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA) as a pro bono designer. This project focuses on developing a comprehensive brand style guide.
BCAA is a nonprofit organization supporting local artists in Boulder, Colorado. While they posses a long history within the area, BCAA lacked the brand documentation and visual consistency needed to reflect their mission and support internal and external communication.
My Role
Brand Designer
Length
December 2024 - May 2025
Tools
Figma
Photoshop
Milanote
The Challenge
BCAA’s existing brand presence was outdated and didn’t reflect the company’s current values. During my time working with them on the website redesign, they had no formal brand guidelines, limited logo assets, and an inconsistent tone across their digital platforms.
The organization’s leadership expressed a need for documentation that could help staff and external partners better represent the brand.
My Responsibilities
Lead brand discovery interviews with BCAA staff
Synthesize qualitative insights to define brand values and tone
Redesigned visual assets, including alternate logo versions and brand marks
Create a brand style guide to ensure future consistency in BCAA’s voice, tone, and visuals
User Research
I began by pulling from earlier user research insights from my website redesign project with BCAA to help understand external brand perception. Additionally, I conducted interviews with internal stakeholders to understand how staff viewed the brand and where they wanted it to go.
Key Insights:
BCAA is perceived internally as community-driven, collaborative, and progressive
Staff felt the brand should feel approachable, inclusive, and confident
Both external users and staff expressed that BCAA’s existing branding comes across as dated and lacking clarity
I used Milanote to organize themes and values from these conversations. These became the foundation for developing BCAA’s brand voice and messaging pillars.
Design Solutions
Messaging & Tone
I defined a tone of voice that reflects BCAA’s mission and values:
Personable, approachable, and community-focused
Language that is simple yet confident, and avoided overly formal or inaccessible jargon
Logo Updates
BCAA’s original logo was only available in a single horizontal format with limited color options. To provide more flexibility and utility, I created the following:
A black and white logo variant for better accessibility on varied backgrounds
A vertical lockup version for constrained layouts
A standalone brand mark using their box icon for use in small or informal applications
Style Guide Creation
I developed a brand style guide to help BCAA apply their new identity consistently. The guide includes:
Updated logo usage rules and file formats
Color palette and typography recommendations aligned with their brand tone
Voice and tone guidelines that reflected their inclusive and supportive role in the arts community
Outcome
The brand style guide gave BCAA a clear, confident foundation to move forward with their visual and verbal identity. Staff and partners now have a toolkit to:
Represent the organization consistently across platforms
Reflect the values of accessibility, collaboration, and advocacy
Build trust with artists and the community they serve
This work helped bridge the gap between how BCAA sees itself, and how they’re seen by the public.