PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Backus Food Foundation was started by my good friend Denver Backus in Portland, Oregon in 2021. This non-profit's goal is to mitigate the effects of food deserts in the Portland Metro area in Oregon by providing leafy greens through hydroponics to communities in need. As the designer, I was tasked with giving the non-profit a fresh identity and further explore the impacts food deserts have had on a large portion of the population in Portland.
CLIENT
Denver Backus
ROLE
Designer
PHASE 1
To really understand the goals of the non-profit, I had to do research to understand how food insecurity is effecting Portland. Through research papers, government websites, and calling local organizations who had info on poor communities in the metro area, I was able to obtain enough information to begin building assets for the brand identity.
The map to the left shows areas in Portland that are considered food deserts. About 77,000 Portlanders are food insecure.
PHASE 2
Through research from government agencies and direct conversations with people living in food deserts, we found that not only is fresh food hard to access, but the readily available options are often addictive. With this in mind, my client and I set out to create a brand that mirrors the look and feel of fast food, but delivers the benefits of healthy, leafy greens. Our goal was to make the branding feel familiar to the target audience without presenting something that looked completely opposite to what they’re used to.
PHASE 3
My biggest responsibility attached to this brief was to create a style guide so that the brand has clear guidelines once it gets off the ground. The style guide explores the brand and rules as it pertains to the logo, messaging, typography, color management, tone, and the brand's purpose.
