FUNetix® is a patented reading app developed by the The American Youth Literacy Foundation, in order to help fulfill their mission of universal literacy. Their identity on app platforms, social presence, and communication materials needed a brand refresh to give them more consistency, focus, clarity, and visual interest.
The need for a brand refresh is common to many nonprofit organizations. Much of the design work is done by a revolving door of volunteers. The variations in design skill and experience was dating the brand and diluting their important message.
The Brand Refresh Approach
Overall, FUNetix suffered from “over designing” with disjointed results, so the updated design approach needed to be focused and simplified. I used all existing creative assets for this refresh. Removing dated special effects, gradients and border elements that take up valuable real-estate helped modernize the brand, helping it to compete better visually in a crowded e-learning app marketplace.
Within the FUNetix app there’s already a wonderful adventure world rich with background elements and fun character illustrations. By repurposing those characters more intentionally in the branding and social messaging we could create a better visual connection to the in-app experience and showcase this fun new world that parents and kids would want to explore. In addition, I illustrated a few more characters in a similar style to expand the diversity in the asset library.
After decluttering the imagery, my next step was to refocus the messaging structure. With a bit of persuasion and copy-editing to remove any extra fluff or noise, I aimed to ensure that the intended audience would understand the value proposition and any call-to-action messaging. Social pages and app platforms would now look to have a unified visual language that’s fun, clear and easy to understand.
Before: The image posts below struggled with a lack of focus, ineffective composition, legibility, message clarity, and cohesive brand identity.
The Results
After: The posts below represent the new brand design approach with a bold, colorful palette, clearer messaging and delightful character art to help bring awareness to this wonderful reading app, capable of teaching millions of children how to read in 12 hours or less.
Note: These examples represent the redesign present on app platforms, social presence, and other B2B communication materials. The reading app and org website was not included in the remit of this pro bono project.
Get in Touch for Your Design Needs
This FUNetix brand identity refresh stands as a testament to the power of strategic design in amplifying a nonprofit’s vital message.
By streamlining visual elements and refining messaging, we’ve revitalized FUNetix’s presence across various platforms.
If your organization is seeking similar transformative design solutions, whether it’s for branding, social presence, or communication materials, I’m here to help.
