Case Study: Communication Capable Foundation
Design that has to say a lot
The Communication Capable Foundation is a group of parents with children with autism in Calgary, Canada. When I was approached by the CCF, they were very succinct in their request: Develop a logo that could somehow communicate the culture of caring the group fosters.
The brief went on to describe a proposed vision: We believe that individuals with limited ability to communicate are able to communicate effectively given the right support and tools.
The proposed mission was equally focused: To provide educational support for individuals with limited ability to communicate, their families and professionals; and to advocate for novel methodology for improvement of communication skills through education, research and raising awareness.
The challenge was to describe this in a symbol. I began with the notion that one C could surround and protect the other C. While this did begin to represent the notion of care or protection, it did not really suggest love or even communication. It became apparent that a literal use of C-C-F was unnecessary and the imagery could allude to the group’s name but also the symbol could be more dynamic. The solution was a mark made up of two semi circles representing a parent and child. A heart—more than a symbol of love but, in this instance, also of communication—is being shared between the two which subtly forms two oversized, cozy and comfortable Cs.
“Thank you so much for helping us out with the logo. It’s unanimous, we LOVE it! It really touched our hearts how you incorporated all the elements (parental love, communication, etc) all into one simple yet powerful symbol. “
Left: Quick iterations in the early sketches of the mark. Right: The mark, when applied to a t-shirt, should be slightly oversized so the heart is visible over the wearer’s heart.