Challenge

PUMP has been an integral part of the lives of young people in the Pittsburgh region since 1995. In over 20 years, we grew from a grassroots initiative to keep young people in our area to a community platform for engagement, advocacy, policy, and education. As we’ve grown and adapted as an organization, our logo mark stayed the same.  Earlier this year, we decided to refocus our efforts at PUMP back towards our founding core purpose, elevating the collective voices that our membership brings to the region to create change. We thought this was the perfect time to explore a new visual identity — one that would align with our core purpose, highlight our ongoing role in the community, and resonate better with today’s young Pittsburgh.

Discovery

Before we made any changes, we knew that it was important to reach out to those who know PUMP the best, and those who support our work in the community. We teamed up with a local creative agency, Shift Collaborative, to guide the process. Our research efforts included: *An internal messaging exercise with our board members, where we unpacked the current PUMP identity, our story, and our strengths and weaknesses.  *A survey of the full membership base about their perception of our old visual identity and their thoughts about our visual needs. *Interviews with key PUMP Stakeholders, including members, funders, and collaborators. *A thorough audit of our existing website, social media, and collateral. All of this research confirmed our hunch that the old branding no longer resonated strongly with young Pittsburgh. Our new visual identity needed to help our brand become synonymous with all of the ways we are involved in our region, most importantly the advocacy and public policy component of what we do.
 

Design Process

In developing a new logo, brand look, and tagline, we were dedicated to a brand identity that was approachable, energetic, and appealing to a broad audience. We believed it was critical to emphasize that PUMP is not just about bringing individuals together, but also dedicated to elevating the diverse voices representing the Pittsburgh region. Our design review began with sketches, then progressed through digital mock-ups and various print and digital samples showing the brand in action. After settling on a logo design, we conducted a survey to help us determine the right color palette that best fit the new brand. All of this work took many rounds of sketches, discussions, and revisions across numerous meetings and conversations. At the end, a new brand identity emerged that represents PUMP and our role in the region, now and into the future.

Get to Know Our New Identity

*Structure—Our brand elevates the “you” both literally and metaphorically, representing the platform that we strive to provide for members of our community *New tagline–“Get Active. Be Connected. Create Change.” It emphasizes the three main pillars of PUMP’s programming within the region. The simplicity and clarity of the messaging is designed to resonate with all members of our region. *Primary Colors: Navy Blue and Kelly Green–Our primary colors tie our history to our goals. The green is a link to the color of our old logo, and the blue represents stability, strength, integrity, and success. *Color Palette—The bright, energetic color palette projects a youthful feel, though with a substantive structure.  This vibrant/serious blend will help us engage young Pittsburgh to help tackle some of the serious issues facing our city and our region. *Font—Our font is friendly and approachable, representing our goal of engaging all members of the region. Check out the complete Brand Story HERE.

You Can Get Involved with PUMP

If you’re excited about PUMP, there are many ways that you can get involved. Share our new brand in social media using #PUMPedForAll.
 
Learn more about our public policy agenda and get involved. Renew your membership or become a member. Learn more about the Pittsburgh Sports League (PSL).