Elmgrove Foundation Brand Identity

jessicamaesample
Mar 3
2 min read

Overview

Elmgrove Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to neurodiversity-affirming therapy, education, and community programs. The organization exists to move beyond compliance-based models and build systems that honor difference, foster belonging, and protect nervous system safety. Unlike traditional awareness-based nonprofits, Elmgrove centers lived experience, connection, and systemic change. The brand needed to reflect that shift.

Brand Strategy + Visual Direction

Elmgrove’s foundation rests on three core pillars:

Care. Community. Advocacy.

Elmgrove’s design direction draws from:

Field journals
Museum archives
Biodiversity documentation
Hand-kept collections

The brand blends macro nature photography with paper textures, ink marks, and hand-drawn elements to create something that feels grounded and lived-in. It avoids the overly polished healthcare aesthetic and instead embraces warmth, texture, and imperfection

Logo System

A Flexible, Cohesive Identity

The Elmgrove logo suite was designed as a system, not a single fixed mark.

The core icon is inspired by the branching structure of a butterfly wing — referencing elm tree limbs, neural pathways, and interconnected systems.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/a8f8f3_c5d2f32724e448a09fb0adb3ee761f5b/720p/mp4/file.mp4

The system includes:

Primary logo
Secondary Logo
Wordmark
Standalone Icon Mark

This flexibility allows the brand to show up confidently in formal donor materials, community events, social media, and small-scale applications.

Typography

Human Expression + Archival Structure

The type system balances warmth and order

Behind the Nineties – expressive serif for headings (editorial, reflective tone)

IBM Plex Mono – structured body text inspired by archival labeling systems

Biro Script Plus – subtle handwritten accent for human moments

Hierarchy is used gently — guiding readers without overwhelming them. Typography reduces cognitive noise and supports accessibility.

Color Palette

Grounded in the Natural World

The color system is rooted in landscapes, materials, and organisms.

The palette feels earthy, steady, and timeless — intentionally avoiding trendy nonprofit blues and hyper-saturated tones.

Custom Iconography

Icons were designed to feel hand-drawn and observant — organic rather than geometric.

Backgrunds, Gradients, and Texture

Soft Structure

Custom gradients blend brand hues to create atmospheric, nature-inspired transitions.

Background Textures draw from:

Aged Paper

Felt

Wood Grain

Archival Book Covers

Stone

Patterns extend the branching motif in subtle, rhythmic ways — suggesting connection without literal illustration

Curated Image Library

Biodiversity as Metaphor

The curated image library includes:

Macro nature photography (butterfly wings, mushroom gills, moss, reptile skin, seashells).
Public domain illustrations from the Biodiversity Heritage Library.

The macro photography emphasizes variation, texture, and interconnected systems — visually reinforcing the belief that difference is natural and essential.

The archival illustrations echo curiosity over correction.