CASE STUDY
DanceSafe Rebrand
How I modernized a life-saving, non-profit brand.
Logo Design
Brand Identity Design
Creative Direction
The Scoop
old logo
DanceSafe is a grassroots non-profit promoting health & safety within music and nightlife communities since 1998.
Growing in volunteer-run national chapters, they were facing rapid momentum. Anticipating the explosion of needed brand assets, they recognized this was the right time for a brand glow-up.
Their logo, featuring the iconic dancer, was sporting JNCO jeans – a relic of the late 90’s underground rave scene, where DanceSafe began their harm-reduction services.
It was time to modernize and broaden their reach to communities outside of raves.
The Approach
Keep it recognizable
DanceSafe offers vital health and safety services at events, aiming to ensure accessibility for all attendees. Folks familiar with the organization and their services know how to spot the iconic DanceSafe tent from across the festival grounds.
Preserving this recognizability was paramount in the rebranding effort. Maintaining the brand's established recognition and positive reputation throughout its lifespan was a key indicator of success.
The strategy involved retaining the iconic elements of the original logo – including the black and yellow color scheme, triangular shape, and dancer motif – while updating the typography and logo mark for a more contemporary appeal.
The Solution
Simplified and Flexible
As emphasized earlier, preserving the iconic elements was crucial, but they received a contemporary update.
Gradients from the old logo were eliminated, replaced by a one-color system tailored to suit various background applications: yellow, black, or white.
The selected typography is a bold yet friendly sans-serif font, enhancing legibility in both small print and from a distance, thus improving accessibility.
With a flexible logo system in place, the logo is now scalable, adaptable, and responsive to diverse contexts.
“Carly has been a dream to work with for my graphic design, logo, and branding needs. Not only was she able to make our vision come to life, but she was both professional and reliable. I always appreciate an eye for detail and an organized approach to project management.”
Kristin Karas
Director of Operations for DanceSafe
Brand assets (packaging, digital, and printed collateral) produced by Favorly.