Educator development, rooted in equity.

What we did

Brand Strategy
Art Direction
Web Design
Web Development

Launched in July 2023

City Teaching Alliance’s mission is to improve educational and life outcomes of children in urban schools. They offer a comprehensive program that prepares teachers to serve in historically underserved and excluded classrooms.

After a rebrand, the organization needed a new memorable brand identity that supports their mission.

The challenge
To create a new brand that embodies the organization’s values and inspires potential teachers to apply.

The solution
A bold and energetic brand and a website that tells the story of City Teaching Alliance in an engaging way.

Logo Exploration

To stand out in the field, City Teaching Alliance sought a distinctive, flexible logo. After extensive exploration, we arrived at a modern solution that seamlessly integrates the brand symbol with the organization’s name. The brand symbol embodies support within the program, with a leaning pillar to symbolize collaborative assistance among educators striving for educational equity. It also hints at the word ‘all,’ underscoring the program’s commitment to inclusivity and accessible education for everyone.

Extending the Brand

For the brand fonts we chose Oswald Bold and DM Sans. Oswald packs a lot of punch and commands visual attention, especially if used at large point sizes in all caps. DM Sans is a modern sans-serif typeface that nicely contrasts the brand’s geometric shapes.

The primary color palette consists mainly of Black and White, with strategic incorporations of Alliance Green to infuse a distinct branded vibrancy and complement the dynamic high contrast palette. The secondary color palette should get used much more sparingly than the primary colors. This palette is useful for elements within larger brand pieces.

Typography

Black

White

Alliance Green

Light Mint

Dark Mint

Dark Gray

Gray

Light Gray

Color Palette

A new visual language

The new brand is kinetic and conveys confidence. Large bold text and black and white photography combined with strategic incorporations of Alliance Green give a unique brand presence that captivates the audience.

Applying the brand online

A large part of the project was redesigning the website. We started by rethinking the sitemap to improve user experience and make the site easier to navigate. We also strategically placed call-to-actions to direct users to learn more or apply for the program. By using a combination of photography, large headlines, quotes and interactive elements, we were able to tell the story of the organization in a compelling way.

A cohesive brand experience

The new brand styles and visual elements work together to create a cohesive brand experience that differentiates City Teaching Alliance from competitors. Original photography and authentic testimonials help build trust with users and reinforce the organizations mission of helping children succeed.