Reintroducing AIGA Baltimore to a New Generation of Creatives

The Baltimore chapter has served the design community for 36 years, but the world and the design industry have changed drastically over the past decade.

AIGA National logo with the adjacent tagline that says "the professional association for design"

Background

The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is an organization that holds over 70 chapters within the United States. The Baltimore chapter is the sole representative of Maryland and has been around for over 25 years.

Why Now?

The creative field has evolved in major ways, especially as design has become more specialized across different disciplines. The COVID-19 pandemic also brought greater attention to workplace well-being, personal fulfillment, and what people need to feel supported in their careers.

Alongside that, conversations around diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging have become increasingly important across the design industry.

The Brand Survey Instagram graphic from AIGA Baltimore with a blue-to-pink city gradient background and white text reading ‘Make your voice heard! Take our brand survey!’ The AIGA BMORE logo appears at the bottom.

Brand Survey

To ground these discussions, we consolidated feedback from members and non-members alike. A public survey provided invaluable insights, and the overwhelming responses became the foundation for the rebrand.

Research + Feedback

T A public survey offered invaluable insights, and the overwhelming response became the foundation of the brand refresh.

Horizontal bar chart showing AIGA Baltimore social media usage survey results. Instagram and LinkedIn are tied for highest use with 10 responses each (58.8%), followed by Facebook with 3 responses (17.6%), Twitter with 2 responses (11.8%), and 1 response indicating no platforms (5.9%)
Pie chart displaying survey responses to ‘Do you follow AIGA Baltimore on social media?’ 82.4% of respondents selected Yes, while 17.6% selected No.

Even though I serve on the board of the Baltimore chapter, it was necessary to be critical of the pernicious aspects of our organization. From responses, our team realized there was a problem.

“…it’s a waste of money.”

“I have failed to see myself represented on the board or in the events.”

“AIGA hasn’t been able to establish a relationship with creatives of color. Whether intentional or not, I think it speaks volumes.”

Ideation Phase

I developed the project brief to establish clarity from the start. We outlined our core objectives, primary audiences, and key competitors in the local design and creative community. This framework guided conversations with our design, web development, and communications teams, helping everyone understand not only what we were creating but also why.

Once our team defined our strategy, we aligned on visual direction, tone, and rollout priorities. We stressed making a refreshed brand feel purposeful and distinctly Baltimore.

Unapologetically Urban 

Our rebrand committee settled on Unapologetically Urban to reflect Baltimore’s bold, authentic nature. We started by drafting a mood board inspired by street culture, experimental typography, and bold colors.
Digital mood board featuring Baltimore landmarks, street art murals with bold hand-drawn typography, colorful city textures, and skyline photography capturing the energy and character of Baltimore.

Deliverables

The UI/UX design was created by chapter president and brought to life by the development team. As communications lead, I oversaw messaging and wrote the website copy, ensuring clarity and consistency across all pages. Additionally, I took ownership on creating branding assets for all of our digital touchpoints.
View the Website
AIGA Baltimore website redesign mockup displayed on a desktop monitor with floating webpage previews, featuring the refreshed Baltimore identity, bold gradients, and colorful graphic elements.
AIGA Baltimore business cards featuring the chapter’s refreshed brand identity, gradient ribbon graphics, QR codes, and Baltimore skyline imagery.
AIGA Baltimore Instagram post mockups displayed on multiple smartphones, showing the refreshed brand identity with bold typography, Baltimore imagery, and colorful graphic elements.
AIGA Baltimore mobile email and newsletter mockups featuring the refreshed BMORE branding, Flux Student Design Competition content, event listings, blog posts, and donation calls to action.
AIGA Baltimore YouTube and LinkedIn profile mockups featuring the refreshed BMORE branding, purple gradients, Baltimore imagery, and updated social media banners.
AIGA Baltimore retractable banner displayed in a bright atrium, featuring the refreshed brand identity, Baltimore waterfront imagery, and the message “Join a creative community.”
AIGA Baltimore video call background displayed on a desktop monitor, featuring the refreshed logo, Baltimore waterfront imagery, and colorful brand graphics behind a smiling participant.

Create experiences your audience can trust.

Thoughtful design that strengthens pathways and engagement.

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