Case Study: Ideal State builds a cohesive civic-tech brand system with Workhorse

Ideal State launches a 30-page brand system in 2017 with Workhorse

Ideal State was a civic-technology consultancy that needed a brand identity to communicate its complex service of building knowledge architectures for nonprofits and public-sector groups. The challenge was to create a system that resonated with both the day-to-day users of their work and the boards and funders who judged them. Workhorse was hired to develop this comprehensive brand system.

Workhorse designed a unique identity centered on a logo that functions as both a phonetic pronunciation key and a filepath. The solution included a full suite of branded assets, such as a defined color palette, the Cartograph type family, sub-brand directories, and production-ready templates for documents and presentations. This system allowed Ideal State to consistently produce their work; the brand guide delivered in 2017 remained in service for the rest of the practice's active years, encompassing 17 approved logo versions and 7 distinct sub-brands.

Ideal State