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(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
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We remained one of Solid Rock’s biggest fans, and I’m happy
to say we have recently started working with them again after
two years. The energy is back, and with it a fresh perspective on
ways to communicate and a new understanding of everyone’s
roles and expectations.
Trust and Collaboration
In 2006 Rule 29 started doing work for an organization called
Life in Abundance (LIA) International that helps the poor in
some of the most challenging places in sub-Saharan Africa.
From the very rst project, I realized this was going to be a
d i e r e n t t y p e o f r e l a t i o n s h i p .
L i k e m o s t o f u s , w h e n w e s t a r t a b r a n d i n g p r o j e c t w e b e g i n
w i t h t h e l o g o . I n t h i s c a s e , t h e f o u n d e r i n s i s t e d t h e l o g o s t a y a s
i t w a s . Ha v i n g l e a r n e d f r o m S o l i d R o c k , I k n e w I h a d t o p r e s e n t
t h e r e a s o n s w h y t h e l o g o n e e d e d t o c h a n g e w h i l e m a k i n g s u r e
t h e f o u n d e r k n e w I w a s l i s t e n i n g , u n d e r s t o o d t h e m i s s i o n , a n d
w o u l d k e e p a s m u c h o f w h a t s h e l i k e d a b o u t t h e l o g o a s I c o u l d .
A d d i t i o n a l l y , I h a d t o n d a w a y t o c o m m u n i c a t e t h a t , a s h e r
n e w b r a n d p a r t n e r , t h e l o g o h a d t o w o r k f o r t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n i n
t h e Un i t e d S t a t e s , f o r Eu r o p e a n f u n d r a i s i n g , a n d b e s e e n a s a n
a c c e p t a b l e m a r k i n t h e v a r i e t y o f A f r i c a n c o u n t r i e s L I A w o r k e d
w i t h . T h e s e w o u l d b e n e w c h a l l e n g e s f o r b o t h L I A a n d R u l e 2 9 .
T h e o l d b l u e b i r d l o g o —w h i c h I c a l l e d t h e “w a r b i r d ”—d i d n ’ t
c o m m u n i c a t e t h e h e l p , p e a c e , a n d f r i e n d l i n e s s i t n e e d e d t o .
Bu t k n o w i n g t h a t w e n e e d e d t o k e e p a b i r d i m a g e , w e e x p l o r e d
t h e i c o n o g r a p h y f o r t h e m a i n c o u n t r i e s i n A f r i c a w h e r e t h e
l o g o w o u l d a p p e a r , d i e r e n t c o l o r s , a n d o t h e r o p t i o n s . W e
r e a d s t a t i s t i c s a n d t r i e d t o w r a p o u r h e a d s a r o u n d w h a t t h o s e
m e a n t —a n d h o w i t c o u l d r e a l l y b e t h a t b a d i n s o m a n y a r e a s .
T h r o u g h m a n y c o n v e r s a t i o n s a n d a t r i p t o A f r i c a , a c l e a r e r
p i c t u r e o f t h e n e e d , t h e p e o p l e , a n d t h e s t a t i s t i c s e m e r g e d f o r
m e . W e n e e d e d a b o l d l o g o , a s w e l l a s o n e t h a t w a s s i m p l e ,
p e a c e f u l , a n d h o p e - l l e d . A f t e r m a n y i t e r a t i o n s , I p r e s e n t e d o u r
s o l u t i o n t o t h e f o u n d e r , a n d I a s k e d h e r t o t r u s t w h a t w e w e r e
d o i n g b e c a u s e w e “g o t ” w h a t s h e w a s d o i n g ( g . c , d ) .
I n t h e e n d , i s c r e a t i n g a l o g o f o r a n o n p r o t d i e r e n t t h a n
c r e a t i n g a l o g o f o r a n y o t h e r c o m p a n y ? I n m a n y w a y s , n o .
Bu t i n s o m e i n c r e d i b l e w a y s , d e n i t e l y y e s . Mi s s i o n - d r i v e n o r
c a u s e - r e l a t e d o r g a n i z a t i o n s d e m a n d a d e e p u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d
c o m m i t m e n t o n t h e p a r t o f t h e d e s i g n r m , w i t h a w a r e n e s s
t h a t t h e s t a t i s t i c s t h a t d e n e t h e c h a l l e n g e a n d i t s i m p a c t a r e
m o r e t h a n m e r e n u m b e r s —t h e y a r e b a s e d o n l i v i n g t h i n g s a n d
r e a l p e o p l e . W o r k l i k e t h i s d e m a n d s s e n s i t i v i t y , h o n e s t y , a n d
d i g n i t y —t h e s e a r e c r u c i a l t o t h e p r o c e s s .
The Moral of the Stories
De s i g n i n g f o r a n o n p r o t i s a b o u t s o m u c h m o r e t h a n d o n a t i n g
y o u r t a l e n t . T h e r e a r e i n h e r e n t c h a l l e n g e s a n d p e r s o n a l c o s t
t h a t c a n b r i n g f r u s t r a t i o n —o r u n b e l i e v a b l e s a t i s f a c t i o n a n d
g r o w t h . T h e n e x t t i m e y o u a r e a p p r o a c h e d b y a n o n p r o t , h e r e
a r e s o m e t h i n g s t o k e e p i n m i n d :
1. I f y o u c h o o s e t o d o t h i s w o r k , s e l l o u t f o r i t —b e l i e v e i n
t h e m i s s i o n o r d o n ’ t d o i t .
2. Be p a t i e n t ; c o m m u n i c a t e t h e p r o c e s s a n d i t s p o t e n t i a l .
3. L i s t e n .
4. T r e a t s t a t i s t i c s w i t h d i g n i t y .
5. L e t t h e e x p e r i e n c e c h a n g e y o u ; s e r v i n g t e n d s t o d o t h a t .
6. I f y o u d o n ’ t u n d e r s t a n d s o m e t h i n g , g o e x p e r i e n c e i t .
7. F i n d o r g a n i z a t i o n s y o u c a n m u t u a l l y t r u s t a n d
c o l l a b o r a t e w i t h .
A n d a b o v e a l l , r e m e m b e r t h a t y o u h a v e t h e c h a n c e t o h e l p
c h a n g e t h e w o r l d … a n d t h a t ’ s j u s t a t - o u t a w e s o m e .
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(Ray)
(Fogra 39)Job:08-30930 Title:RP-Design Logo
#175 Dtp:225 Page:207
001-272_30930.indd 207 9/2/13 11:04 AM