brandColorado
Branding, User Research, Design Systems
Chosen by CP+B and Made as one of the top 10 designers in Colorado to serve on a team tasked with rebranding the State of Colorado in support of a massive tourism initiative led by Governor Hickenlooper’s office.
The logo needed to simply communicate the identity of Colorado on an international level. The simple mountain iconography with the addition of an asymmetrical snow peak and abbreviation of the state’s name is easily identifiable, asserts ownership as the “mountain state”, and was adaptable to many uses from tourism campaigns to internal department branding. The triangle was also used to create patterns, department logos, and visual elements across the brand.
Brand Usage
There are countless departments and divisions within the State of Colorado and each of those needed to be accommodated in the brand guidelines. The triangle shape was used to house the identities of each department to create a more cohesive experience across the brand.
There were requirements from some divisions, such as the Division of Lottery, that were already well branded and needed to work within these new brand guidelines without any significant brand updates.
The brand was also extended to the Made in Colorado program, which encouraged local businesses to label their products with the new brand and help build brand recognition inside and outside of the state.
Color Palette
The color palette was chosen from imagery and scenes across the state. There is a core palette that was used as a base for many of the departments, but there was an opportunity to greatly expand on that palette to more accurately reflect all of the aspects of state business, from healthcare to the state park system. Each color was then able to be paired with surrounding colors in the palette to create a unique palette for each use.
