Orchard Academy
Charter School Detroit, Mi
Orchard Academy is a charter school in Detroit mi, that is planning to open it’s doors in Fall of 2020. Located at the heart of The Northend, Orchard Academy sits inside the historic Boston Edison district on Woodward Ave. Orchard Academy is backed by a group of dedicated supporters and a passionate school principal who are dedicated to educating the children of Detroit with an approach that supports the Whole Child.
A monumental challenged facing Orchard Academy is gaining the trust of the community. Over the past few decades Detroiters have witnessed the deterioration of Detroit’s public school system. They’ve had to watch as Charter Schools fail and close overnight, leaving them scramble to find another school in the middle of the school year.
Branding becomes very important when trying to build trust. A well thought out brand can convey a sense of competence and thoughtfulness. One of my goals with this brand was to create a sense of connection to the neighborhood and it’s people.
Typography
Detroit and the Northend in particular have had a long history of activism and social justice movements. I chose Martin by vocal type as the main display typeface for OA because if it's links to MLK and activism but also because of it's irregular letterforms. One of the dominant typographic features in the Detroit landscape are the hand-lettered signs that fill the streets. Martin's irregular forms feel more at home in Detroit than a stark perfect modern san-serif.
Color Palette
Reflecting the teaching philosophy of educating "The Whole Child", I created a color palette that reflects the four parts of the child: Social/Emotional, Moral/Character, Physical/Sensory & Academic/Intellect
Grid
Flexible Logo
Elementary School Option
The above brand is meant for the organization as a whole and high school. I created a second version that fits seamlessly with the previous brand, but with more of a kid friendly feel. Keeping with the idea of creating connection this brand is based around a continuous line icon system.
