One Spirit is a speculative project to help reshape and rebrand the existing Non-Profit organization. My aim was to practice establishing a new image for an existing organization, particularly one with a unique vision. I chose One Spirit because I felt that their brand and ephemera had a lot of potential due to its cultural ties to the Lakota people.
Mission
As stated on their website:
“One Spirit is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support for the Lakota people of Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. We strive to provide sustainable programs that promote self-sufficiency, economic development, and educational opportunities for the Lakota people. Our mission is to fulfill their vision of a self-sufficient and independent future. To help the Oglala Lakota tribe of Native Americans achieve happier, healthier lives within the context of their remarkable and unique history and culture. “
Identity
Oglala Lakota National FlagThe primary logo is a deconstruction on the Oglala National Flag ( a sub-tribe of the Lakota Nation). The flag itself has a circle of eight white tipis representing the eight districts of the reservation. Simplifying the geometry of the tipi made it logo friendly. Incorporating the “1” in the negative space of the tipi doorway added the uniqueness and identity One Spirit represents. While simple, it has visual intrigue and diverse application potential.
L: Original Logo (Current) R: New Proposal LogoColor
Those with keen eyes may notice the simplification of the logo also included simplification of the colors. A four-color icon can be a unwieldy when it comes to application, so simplifying to an off-white felt most appropriate. With that said, I did not erase the color scheme as a whole. It has strong cultural relevance (Lakota Medicine Wheel) thus the four brand colors are maintained, albeit slightly desaturated for visual harmony.
Type
Gin functions as the heading/primary font. An all-caps western style slab-serif. It has fairly narrow, geometric looking characters with a unique flourish that brings about the western feel. Considering the Lakota Nation in South Dakota which house rolling prairies it felt appropriate. Gin alsp provides the boldness that was missing from One Spirit’s current image.
Phorues Cherokee is the body text of choice. This typeface has serifs that compliment the title, but have a rounded and friendly feel. Phorues Cherokke most importantly was designed by Mark Jamra, a type designer dedicated to creating typefaces for “under-supported language communities.“ In this case, The North American Native populations. This type system has all the unique characters utilized in Lakota language and writing, perfect for the text of a organization such as One Spirit.
Production
Click on each image for more information about the individual program.
The organization has multiple subsidiary services that also needed to be included in the rebrand. These services are very different in what they provide yet they needed a consistent look and feel. Utilizing the repetition of the “1” in the negative space helps to easily being it all together.
