Design for Social Impact
We Can All Make A Difference.
We believe that design can play a unique role in communicating more clearly, more strategically, and making more of an impact on the world in a variety of ways. From learning deeply about a controversial topic, filling out a form easily and correctly, learning about a need, and easily volunteering and donating, design can help that all happen at a greater level.
Capabilities
Campaign Strategy
Green Consulting
Nonprofit Brand Development
Social Media Campaigns
Election and Civic Design
Design For Good
We are deeply committed to the belief that we ALL can do something. As a Certified B Corporation® we report on it, live it, and want to promote it in our work and the way we carry ourselves. We also believe that part of our approach is considering the full lifecycle of a project’s execution, materials, and the range of impact this will have on the environment, society, culture, and economic development.
National Ballot Design Standards
After the 2000 election debacle, our country developed a better understanding of the importance of clear design when it comes to ballots. We partnered with the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and AIGA Design For Democracy to develop best practices for ballot design.
It’s All in the Details
Among the key recommendations are labeling and clearly designating each section, allowing adequate space for each piece of information, ensuring hierarchy guides users through the document, and simplifying the type styles used.
Voters in dozens of states across the nation are now voting on ballots based on these standards
Sunday Strong
Sunday Strong encourages the health and wellness of adults with intellectual disabilities by working with fitness affiliates nationwide to provide one group class a week. Rule29 was honored to design and develop the Sunday Strong brand and website to invite athletes to participate in regular group classes. Fitness facilities and volunteers are also encouraged to support the Sunday Strong community by hosting classes and coaching athletes.
ADA Compliance #FTW
Along with offering a comprehensive set of resources for the Sunday Strong community, the site is ADA-compliant for users of all abilities. We’re excited to see Sunday Strong grow as gyms across the nation join the movement!
We were so impressed with Rule29’s initial work that we knew they would be the perfect team to help us design a website. As our target audience is adults with intellectual disabilities, we needed a site that would be captivating for all visitors, from athletes to donors, but also easily accessible. The end product Rule29 created was a massive success, as we have seen more athletes enroll and donations coming in directly on the website. We have had a number of visitors to our site rave about how well it showcased our organization, mission, and impact. We will continue to use Rule29 for any and all of our branding needs!
Good Tidings Foundation
The Good Tidings Foundation supports and encourages the athletic and artistic growth of children within the Northern California area. Our aim was to tell their story more clearly and rebrand them to be more in line with the quality of programming and service they have been providing for over 25 years.
There are so many choices when it comes to selecting a company to assist you with your creative needs. We all likely get daily sales pitch emails from the next “great” company that can take you to the next level. A company can’t help you, but its people can. Rule29 has those people. Everything we have worked on with their team, from a new website, social media strategies, a coffee table book and updated brand identity has been a joy and has taken our brand to the next level that will help us serve more communities. They treat you like a friend who truly has your best interests in mind. They take all your direction and then try to exceed your expectations! Not partnering with them would be a mistake!
Election Design Field Guides
Designed in collaboration with Center for Civic Design, the Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent are 10 pocket-sized guides containing field-researched, critical design techniques that help ensure that every vote is cast as voters intend. Boiling down a full manual of best practices for ballot design (the US EAC’s Effective Designs for the Administration of Federal Elections), the Field Guides present design guidelines that election officials can really use. Each guide contains a simple “Top 10” list on a particular topic, ranging from ballots to election department websites.
Still Guiding the Way
The Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent are still in use in election offices across the nation and regularly being requested by citizens and election officials alike. The fourth edition was printed in 2018.
In a testament to their ongoing value, the Field Guides were featured in the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City as part of the “By the People: Designing a Better America” exhibit.
Level Ground
Level Ground is a collective of people, conversations, and experiences that inspire empathy and build relationships across our differences. When designing their brand, we took a great deal of time thinking through how it could literally be connected, integrated, and inclusive in its letterforms and brand style. The result highlighted angles and line art to create a sense of energy throughout the collateral and act as framing devices to lead the eye to key information. We also created a design system for Level Ground’s various sub-brands using a color palette that offers each brand a sense of individuality while still being connected to the main brand.
Old Logo
New Logo
There isn’t a creative agency in the world I would recommend more than Rule29. Their team is incredibly friendly, smart, and generous in all things creative and world-changing. They immediately saw the vision for Level Ground before it existed to anyone outside of our founding team, and they put that vision into our brand identity from day 1. It was an identity that gave us instant visibility, credibility, and room to evolve.
Level Ground would never have made it past our first year without the creative contributions and encouragement from Rule29. And the best part is that when you’re a Rule29 client, they never stop caring about you and the passion that drives your work. I am deeply grateful for their friendship and collaboration over the last decade and look forward to many more!
Courage 365
The creation of Courage 365 itself is a story of perseverance and passion. The founder, Ashley Easter, grew up and lived in a cult for 22 years. Thankfully, she was able to break free and decided to take control of her life. As a survivor, Ashley spoke out about her past and the challenges she had overcome. As a result, hundreds of abuse survivors reached out describing their experiences. Knowing she was not alone, Ashley realized she had to do something. The result was the launch of The Courage Conference in 2016, which has since evolved into Courage 365.
Empowering Survivors
Today, Courage 365 inspires and transforms countless abuse survivors’ lives through a community of understanding, inspiration, and empowerment. Rule29 was honored to help evolve their story, messaging, brand, and web presence to be ready to help even more survivors.
Courage 365 is an organization created by survivors… for survivors.
“Rule29 took our non-profit to the next level! With passion and precision, they created the website of our dreams. We now have a website that reflects the professionalism and care we have for our clients. With this new interface, we will be taken more seriously by both our donors and the people we serve. Thank you Rule29! We could not have done it without you.”