82ND STREET PARTNERSHIP
visual identity
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Role: Design Director
Studio: MA’AM
Lead Designer: Jessica Cullen
Designer: deLana Fernandez
In collaboration with Neighborhoods Now - a community-led pandemic recovery program for NYC, led by the Urban Design Forum and Van Alen Institute, we partnered with 82nd Street Partnership to create a brand identity as vibrant as the community it represents.
Local community organizations are underserved and rarely have dedicated design partners. we were committed to providing a comprehensive brand identity to reflect the passion, advocacy, and pride of the organization. This new identity bolsters the organization’s mission and well-positions them for grants, funding, and improvement goals.
The work was published in the new 6th edition of Designing Brand Identity book.
The logo is flexible and dynamic. The yellow street line can change to feature photography, text, flags from different countries, and pride organizations represented in the neighborhood. The flag, image, or keywords are always at the center of the logo just as the people are at the heart of the community.
A diverse community, comprised of 160+ businesses across food, fashion, entertainment, and professional service, 82nd Street is one of NYC’s most lively and authentic market streets. With residents speaking over 160 languages, Jackson Heights is rich in culture. The vibrancy of the community and the street itself inspired our design concept for the new visual identity.
Our color palette is inspired by the street with our primary colors as black, white, and yellow. An extended color palette honors the countries represented on 82nd Street - from red inspired by Peru and a dark green from the Bangladesh flag - these colors bring vibrancy to the design system. Various color combinations keep layout possibilities fresh.
Our primary typeface is Mundial by TipoType, a type foundry from Uruguay. Mundial translates as “Worldwide,” the idea of synthesizing characteristics from different traditions in a single typographic style. It's a rounded and approachable font with easy legibility for bilingual layouts. Our accent typeface is Beloved Script by Laura Worthington. This handwritten font adds a personal touch to marketing collateral and leaves room for customization of messaging.
Our partnership with Neighborhoods Now and 82nd Street Partnership was centered on signaling pride and optimism for what’s next by elevating their brand identity and presence in the community. As designers and creatives, it’s our duty to give back to our local communities.