North Carolina Environmental Justice Network Website and Logo Design

SERVICES

The North Carolina Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN) is a grassroots, people-of-color-led coalition that works with low-income and BIPOC communities on issues of climate, environmental, racial, and social injustice. NCEJN works in a variety of ways, including training and workshops, leading community science efforts, and providing resources to community-based organizations to strengthen their organizational capacities.

The Ask

A Grassroots Update

NCEJN came to us with a two-fold request: a logo and website redesign. As the North Carolina-based grassroots coalition celebrated its 25th anniversary, the team recognized the need for an updated logo that accurately reflects who they are and the communities they work with. NCEJN also needed a website to house the resources they offer to their member organizations. Their priorities included content that speaks to their various audiences, a multilingual website, SEO and mobile optimization, and a user-friendly experience on both the front and back ends.

BEFORE

After

Our Approach

The Logo

The NCEJN team agreed that the original logo missed the mark in expressing organizational values and their holistic way of approaching environmental justice work. They wanted a mark that pushed the concept beyond the North Carolina state borders and that captured the essence of their mission. We started from scratch—and collaborated with their team, including founding members—to design a holistic logo that speaks to the bold, tenacious, and warm culture of NCEJN.

Each element of the logo is symbolic. The color palette of red, green, and yellow honors the African diaspora and the African-American roots of the organization. The people raise their fists in protest, while their arms link together in unity. The shapes of the people form the houses, symbolizing community. And roots form the base of the logo in acknowledgment of the support and significance of the land.

The Website

NCEJN is a robust organization that confronts the challenges of environmental justice on many fronts—from activism, to supporting partner organizations, to community-led science and research collaboration. They needed a website to serve as an educational resource, a hub for updates, and a platform for other groups working on related issues. To organize the site, we created a menu that communicates not only the work NCEJN does now, but also the history of the environmental justice movement, the root causes of social injustice, and how these issues manifest today.

Design Rooted in Humanity

To bring the warmth of the new logo into the website, we incorporated the color palette—along with the addition of sky blue and sunshine yellow. We designed icons to complement the logo and visually represent the menu items and content. Through the use of texture and pattern, we introduced organic elements to bring a human touch to the design. The result is an organized hub of resources for NCEJN’s community that honors their culture, roots, and mission.

The Results

more eyes on the issues

The reorganized and SEO-optimized website led to a dramatic increase in both clicks and impressions for the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network. This reflects a significant boost in the visibility of their advocacy online. In the six months leading up to the launch of the new website, the previous site received 3,001 clicks and 68,200 impressions. In the first six months of using the new website, these numbers increased to 9,630 clicks and 291,000 impressions. That’s a 221% increase in clicks and a 327% increase in impressions! Strategy + good design + SEO optimization lead to more website traffic.

increase in impressions

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