Beacon

A Brand as Bright and Steady as Its Name

Skills Used
Brand Identity · Logo Design · Visual Identity Systems · Brand Systems · Print Design

Project Objective
Beacon is an alternative education program supporting 11th and 12th graders at high risk of dropping out, developed in partnership with Greenfield High School and Greenfield Community College. The design problem had two audiences pulling in different directions: the brand needed to feel relevant and energetic to the teenagers it existed to serve, while projecting enough institutional credibility to hold up with college partners and funders. One mark, one system, both audiences.

My Role & Process
I had full creative ownership of the identity. Working from the CES starburst as a structural starting point (Beacon lived within the CES ecosystem), I pushed the mark well past institutional territory. The gradient palette (Rust, Signal Pink, Gold) and the concentric line treatment give the logo visual energy that reads as current without tipping into informal. The system was developed in three lockups (vertical, horizontal, icon-only) to stay consistent across every context the program would appear in, from print materials to apparel. A brand reference guide documents usage rules, color values, and typography to keep the identity coherent across applications.

Impact & Deliverables

Logo system in three configurations: vertical, horizontal, icon-only
Color palette and typography system
Brand reference guide with usage rules
Mockup applications showing how the identity translates across environmental and print contexts: signage, tote bag, pins, and apparel

Developed in three configurations — vertical, horizontal, and mark-only — to keep the brand consistent across every context.

A reference guide documenting the colors, typography, and logo usage that keep Beacon looking like itself across every audience and application.

Mockup applications showing how the identity translates across environmental and print contexts: signage, tote bag, pins, and apparel

The mark alone, showing how the gradient holds its energy at any scale.

The white logo variant on dark apparel, designed to reach students where they are.