Every year, Northern Plains Resource Council hosts its largest fundraising and community-building event of the year, the Annual Meeting. The board of directors developed a theme of “Bringing Democracy Home” for the 2022 meeting. I developed event branding and deliverables based on the theme.
Scope: Two weeks
Scope: Two weeks
Deliverables: Logo and Event Branding, Motion Graphic for Event Screens and Social Media
Software used: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects
Software used: Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects
Team of stakeholders:
Communications Director
Annual Meeting Event Lead and Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator
Fundraising Director
Executive Director
Communications Director
Annual Meeting Event Lead and Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator
Fundraising Director
Executive Director
My role: Graphic Designer and Creative Director
I began by leading our stakeholder team through a branding brainstorm process, using a document developed in conjunction with the Communications Director to help us hone in on what we want to communicate with the theme. The theme “Bringing Democracy Home” was developed in response to a looming threat to the Montana Constitution by radical right-wing politicians at the upcoming legislative session. The board sought to honor the 50th anniversary of the state constitution, the rights it protects, and how Northern Plains’ organizational history tied into the development of the document.
Through the branding brainstorm, we developed a core message, a list of values we wanted to express, and images that come to mind when thinking of those values. In particular, stakeholders wanted to highlight women in leadership, grassroots democracy, and food sovereignty. We collectively came up with the idea of the ballot box being our central image. Using this, I developed the visual brand.
Branding Guidelines and Branding Image
I was instantly inspired by the ballot box idea to create an image that showcased the power of engaging with your democracy. I created a collage using images of past and current Northern Plains members who represent the kind of democracy Northern Plains is fighting for. From there, it was easy to take it a step further and animate it to look like a tree growing out of the ballot box. The motion graphic was used in an Instagram reel to advertise the event on social media and on venue screens at the event.
Motion Graphic and Instagram Reel
The stakeholder team was extremely enthusiastic about the final designs and felt as though the branding and motion graphic accurately evoked the values they wanted to embody for the 2022 Annual Meeting. Our audience had particular appreciation for the motion graphic, which helped modernize Northern Plains' overall brand.
This project was my first time using After Effects, and I enjoyed trying out new software while also delighting my stakeholder team with an impactful design. The branding I created reached far beyond the event itself, and helped elevate Northern Plains as a leader in the fight to protect the state constitution at the legislative session. And protect it they did!
