In 2015, the Chicago Fringe Festival approached me about leading a rebrand for them. Their original logo was too dark and felt dated, and they wanted something fresh, new, and welcoming. I lead a workshop for the organization’s leaders to find the kinds of words, colors, and shapes that they felt embodied the spirit of the festival. I presented research on the kinds of logos and imagery that other fringe festivals around the world used.
Original Chicago Fringe logo, pre-2015.
In the end, we landed on this logo that makes use of a variety of typefaces to convey energy, variety, and fun. The colors were drawn from the Chicago flag and retained the six-pointed Chicago star from the original logo. The entire organization was enthusiastic about this new brand and brought me on to lead the imagery and design for that year’s festival as well.
The new Chicago Fringe logo in use on a postcard to donors and a KidsFringe iteration of the logo on a promotional postcard.
As part of the rebranding, I also designed and built a website for the organization. Whereas their previous website had, like their logo, had a black background with white, grungy text, this new version had a wide-open and inviting feel that embraced organic edges and rounded shapes.
