Client Introduction

FuturePreneurs Unlimited (FPU) is an organization that aims to provide entrepreneurial infrastructure and tools to underprivileged youth, led by former Seahawk Tony Benjamin. Tony has assembled a team of passionate partners through the greater Seattle area committed to fulfilling this vision.

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Creative Brief + Goals

Thanks to Tony’s passion for FPU, the creative briefing was highly detailed and full of information that was used to drive the leading principles of the brand design. The tale of Caerus, the Greek God of Opportunity, played a large role in Tony’s vision for the brand. Caerus was labeled as the “Personification of Opportunity”, and various elements of his character showcased this: a scale and razor he held, a shock of hair on the front of his head, wings on his feet, and an appearance of infinite youth. Additionally, Tony recommended a color palette that he felt was non-gender and inclusive to all. Initially, this included blue+orange tones paired with orange+green tones. These colors were utilized in previous iterations of the brand.

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Audience + Market

Due to the nature of the target user (Gen Z), it was paramount that we designed a brand that would first and foremost attract them – ensuring their association with the brand was a major priority. However, in order to successfully operate, FPU needs the support of three other critical stakeholders: parents, community members, and business partners. With this in mind, these were the three priorities that lay the groundwork for our direction:

1. Translate the creative brief into viable brand elements
2. Attract Generation Z
3. Appear as a valid and mature brand to parents, community members, and business partners

A final element to our creative briefing was a comparative study. Tony referenced these organizations:

1. LRNG
2. GENYouth
3. Bright Idea
4. iMentor

A consistent characteristic that each of these organizations contained was strong, sans serif font, maximum legibility, and a simple icon. 

Additional goals included developing a brand that would translate well across digital platforms, on branded assets such as apparel, and in large or small applications.

Vision Boarding

Like all brand design projects, we started with vision boarding and presented 3 directions to Futurepreneurs – Big Neon, Modern 3D, and Greco Tones. Big Neon and Modern 3D were both highly amplified versions of the original color palette – bright, bold, and eye-catching. Greco Tones was a direction focused on a literal interpretation of Caerus, with a more calm, collected, and polished feel.

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Final Direction

After our presentation and thorough discussion, Modern 3D was our decided direction, with the addition of pulling some design elements from Big Neon. From here we finalized font choice, our primary letter mark, icon, and colors. Tony and his team exhibited exemplary communications with our team and made it easy to discuss details and process feedback. We were able to produce a final brand book quickly, along with a newly-designed website utilizing the new brand.

The final direction of the brand was inspired by themes and colors initially expressed (ie. The Tale of Caerus) and we found ways to give credence to each one of these elements while meeting the expectations of the FPU audience. The blue+orange/red+green was translated into a seafoam green+watermelon pink palette, which includes a series of modern gradients and shades, and maintains the goal of inclusivity and a non-gendered appearance. The swift, forward-motion of Caerus is embodied by the italics seen in the letter mark.

Throughout the entirety of the process we discussed the FPU target audience and who they really were – was it in the parents of students? The organizations and businesses that would act as coaches? The local partners who would support and fund the programs? Or the students themselves? The obvious answer is the youth. With this in mind, the branding communicates quickly. It’s polished but doesn’t appear to try too hard. It has an effective yet effortless appearance. These are characteristics that we find to be common themes in the ways Generation Z communicate and associate to brands.

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The final product for Futurepreneurs Unlimited is youthful and energetic while allowing room for professionalism and commerce. The logo is legible, engaging, and intended to serve the organization well for years to come.