Last Updated on June 4, 2020 by Valinda Riggins Nwadike, MD, MPH
Having recently wrapped up the majority of our big website redesign, we think it’s a good time to provide some insight into the new logo, and specifically, our choice of the multi-colored symbol you see featured in our logo and throughout our social media profiles.
We talk about why we’ve chosen to use the orange, grey, black, and white color pallet here, so we’ll dedicate this post to our new symbol, or in digital design terms, our mark.
Of course, the use of a new and unique mark designed specifically for The STI Project fits into our work toward being more recognizable (the more we are recognizable, the more people we are able to reach and ultimately, help). However, the mark’s symbolism goes far beyond being recognizable and speaks to what we do on the website as well as who we serve.
A Shield
Our mark resembles a shield which represents The STI Project itself. With education and resources, we are able to shield our readers from the otherwise harmful social implications of living with an STI/STD. In turn, they are able to use what they have learned to shield themselves from uneducated responses, misunderstandings, and misconceptions that they might have believed about themselves.
In providing a ‘shield’ for those seeking help, we are also empowering them to take that information to protect themselves.
A Quilted Mark
The coloring within our mark speaks to the myriad of stories, experiences, and perspectives that we house on The STI Project through the STI Interviews, short stories and guest posts, and the works written by our contributors.
The quilted look also visually illustrates the variety of people who contract STDs and the wealth of unique people who are seeking information about their sexual health.
A Heart
While not overt, our mark also vaguely resembles a heart. Though it’s probably fairly obvious what a heart represents, we think it’s important that it’s embedded indirectly. This representation speaks to the immense heart and courage necessary to disclose one’s status to potential partners, to share one’s story in hopes of helping others, and to move forward in life, despite an STD diagnosis, and with the intent to have healthy relationships and sex lives.
An Arrow
Similar to the shield, the look of the arrow in our image is both to help point people in a positive direction as it is to empower folks to find what works for them in new relationships, maintaining their sexual health, and learning from past experiences.
We like to think of The STI Project as a spring-board, a kind of, ‘Here’s some good information, here’s some great resources, now go run with it, and see where you land’ approach. We want to empower folks to make their own decisions while providing direction when they seek it.
Strong Angles, Rounded Font
Lastly, the strong angles of our mark represent our firm belief that an STD is not the end of the world and one can still live wonderfully, love exceptionally, and have an overall awesome life, despite some of the social stigmas that would have us believe otherwise.
When necessary, we can be quite steadfast in our encouragement of notifying partners in advance of putting them at risk and getting tested even if one’s nervous about the outcomes, to name a few, so our stories show our softer side. We are not all clinicians, and we too have made mistakes. That’s what makes this project worthwhile: the dichotomy that exits throughout our site provides for a richness and an education that only storytelling can convey.
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What do you think of our new logo’s symbol and what it represents? Do you think there’s something else we can include in this imagery? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
