TASK: Create a brand system for a non-profit.
SOLUTION: Read Rat, a 501 (c)(3) organization that builds literary equity in under-resourced communities through book donations and literacy programs.
SOLUTION: Read Rat, a 501 (c)(3) organization that builds literary equity in under-resourced communities through book donations and literacy programs.
Illustrated Rats
The visual nature of Read Rat is geared towards fostering imagination through lively illustrative elements.
Inspired by the work of Saul Steinberg, Read Rat’s illustrations are minimal, yet highly expressive.
The illustrations feature textured, hand-drawn rats that are obsessed with reading. Some rats are hanging upside-down reading, some have their noses buried in their book, and some are encouraging the viewer to read with them.
Typography
To complement the illustrations, the Read Rat brand features a hand-drawn, eclectic typeface that I developed on Glyphs. Inspired by Victorian and Wood Cut typography, each character has three alternate characters that alternate as the user types. As an expansion of the custom typeface, dingbats can be used as additional graphic elements.
The typeface, called Rattish, is to be used sparingly for headlines and the logotype.
The secondary typeface for the majority of brand messaging is Libre Franklin. The geometric sans serif is highly legible, approachable, and friendly for all target audiences.
Variable Rat System
Read Rat has a variable system with many rats that read many books.
All marks feature the eclectic, hand-drawn typeface and a reading rat. In each variation, the rat interacts with the logotype in some fashion. There are marks optimized for compact uses and others for horizontal applications.
Posters
The print campaign includes posters calling for volunteers and advertising for upcoming events to children in schools. The poster campaign demonstrates how the Read Rat brand exists day-to-day.
Website
Read Rat’s website is the center of our communication with donors, participants, volunteers, schools, and families.
Read Rat has a playful and expressive website infested with rats. While an infestation of rats is not ideal for most businesses, Read Rat adores their book-obsessed rats.
