This year we worked with the Devonshire Foundation to design a logo and website that showcase the impact they have in the New England area. The Devonshire Foundation is a private foundation. They create measurable and sustainable impact by supporting “ready-for-growth” programs that address social and environmental change. They give grants to programs that range from focusing on improving opportunities for youths to focusing on bettering the environment.
The logo
For the first step of the process, we were asked to design a logo that speaks to the foundations’ social and environmental focuses. The logo also needed to support the long history of charitable giving behind the foundation. The Devonshire Foundation was created in 1949 by the Howland family and has been giving grants to eligible programs ever since.
We provided the foundation with multiple logo options to choose from. Usually, when we design logos, most of the designers in our studio each take a stab at creating their unique versions. This is based on design success details we established with our client. We then narrow the options down to a (manageable) list of successful ones to review with our clients. The option the client selected was created by our designer, Kim Lê. The mark she designed includes the first letters in the foundations’ name combined in a single mark with a small leaf shape created from part of the F. The two-toned effect of the blue and green lends itself to the dual interest of the foundation into social and environmental change.
The website
We also designed a website to help explain who they are as a foundation, who they serve and how to apply for grants. If a visitor is qualified, they can apply for a grant directly through the website. The client also wanted to showcase the amazing groups they fund and what they do.
Our art director and UX designer, Ellery Moorey, worked with the foundation on the architecture and wireframing a website that included everything they needed. Ellery and designer Heidi Scammon worked on the design of the website once the architecture phase was complete. The design was inspired by the new logo as well as select keywords that describe the foundation: human, approachable, and collaborative. The website includes bright colors, a friendly sans serif font, and lots of empowering imagery of the programs that the foundation has provided grants to. Once the design phase for the website was complete, Heidi built the website in Webflow, one of our favorite CMSs.
