Giving Societies Identity System

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

Heritage meets modern

The National Geographic Society has a rich history of visual identity and iconic symbols representing its 137-year-old brand. As a nonprofit and mission-driven organization, the Society welcomes donations from across the globe. To recognize these donor groups, the Society designates bespoke councils and giving societies based of gift level in a given year. Each giving society has a distinct name and benefits to membership, and each needed an identity to visually represent it on stationery, communications and commemorative gifts. We landed on a strategy to create a visual identity system for all giving societies that offered a level of customization for each unique group, while balancing consistency across all levels – while remaining true to a heritage brand that continues to thrive in the modern era.

Our in-house team drew upon National Geographic’s rich history of symbols and ornamental illustration to create a look and feel for the visual identity sytem that’s rooted in the organization’s heritage, but with a clean, modern design language.

Each identity incorporates a unique symbol to represent its name. The Hubbard Council, named after Gardiner Greene Hubbard, one of the Society’s founders and first president, incorporates a visual of the iconic arched windows of Hubbard Hall, the Society’s original headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The Grosvenor Council includes an abstraction of the iconic yellow border and shape of National Geographic Magazine in honor of the magazine’s first editor, Gilbert H. Grosvenor.

The Clark Council playfully incorporates a shark fin in honor of Eugenie Clark, the renowned American ichthyologist affectionately known as The Shark Lady.

All of the identities integrate stylized leaves as a nod to the illustrative magazine covers of the early 20th century.

Project Credits
Creative + Art Direction: Kara Basabe
Design: Kara Basabe, Meagan Harlowe
Client: National Geographic Society

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Kara is a creative director and designer living in Richmond, Virginia. You might find her attempting to rollerblade, painting with watercolor, forgetting to water the plants or watching movies.