Dialogue Through Design

Can a logo change the world?

Well, this one certainly has, hasn't it?

As I prepare to head to Seattle to participate in this event, I continue to reflect on the role of design in a place like Rwanda. Designing a logo with the women of the weaving cooperative is a reminder that sometimes the little things become the conduit for potential bigger things. When I visited the women last month, they were preparing products for a trade fair in Kigali. To see that they could now have their own brand identity to represent the work among many others gave me hope that design will continue to play a role in their community and future. How that happens is yet to be fully realized but as a consumer of their products, this identity mark does offer additional value to the product as it sits on a shelf.

We know that logos are a language that have the power to help or hinder in our world. While the logo is seemingly a reflection of the company or organization's actions, it is also the visual mark that everyone will remember (or easily forget). To me, it's like naming one's child - with this act, you project or claim a hopeful future. Following that logic, I wouldn't suggest that naming and identity alone can ensure anything. It's how and what you deliver in the end that ensures this identity continues to hold value. For these women, I hope they can increase their product offerings in the future to ensure a distinct market, which the logo has only begun to establish. And in their case, this distinction could change their world by moving them from a wage of $1-2/day to $15-20/day.

These images reflect the co-design process - from concept drawings to a final stamp.