VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
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INTRODUCTION
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
WHAT IS A STRATEGY GUIDE? Strategy is a key part of any project. Having a starting point and building a foundation for what’s to come is the best way to make sure a project is starting off on the right foot. As this is a re-branding project, there are a few things we need to understand before the actual design process. These elements include: the background and history of our brand, the brand’s values, mission statement (including keywords and visual semiotics), a competitive analysis, and a breakdown of the brand’s target audience. By documenting this process we’re also creating a reference for any designer in the future to understand the purpose, position, and mindset of what went into creating the new National Park Service brand.
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
“THOSE WHO CONTEMPLATE THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH FIND RESERVES OF STRENGTH THAT WILL ENDURE AS LONG AS LIFE LASTS.” — RACHEL CARSON, SILENT SPRING
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
DELIVERABLE ONE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
01 THE BRAND 10 – 11
ABOUT THE BRAND
12 – 13
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
14 – 15
TIMELINE
16 – 17
WHY THE CHANGE?
18 – 19
MISSION STATEMENT
20 – 21
BUZZWORDS
22 – 23
KEYWORDS
24 – 25
OUR PAST
26 – 27
OUR PRESENT
02 MARKET ANALYSIS 30 – 35
CURRENT COMPETITION
36 – 39
ADJACENT COMPETITION
40 – 43
FUTURE COMPETITION
03 THE AUDIENCE 44 – 46 47 – 52 53
WHAT IS A PERSONA? PERSONA PROFILES THE OUTLIERS
54 – 55
OUTLIER PROFILES
56 – 57
MOVING FORWARD
60 – 61
REFERENCES
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THE BRAND
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THE BRAND THE PAST & PRESENT
Starting the project is developing a deep understanding of what the current brand is, what it’s about, the history, and the “soul” of the brand as a whole. Through research, exploration, and discovery, the goal is to establish a knowledgeable foundation on where the brand is, to see where it can move to in the future in a logical way.
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
ABOUT THE BRAND
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE BACKGROUND & HISTORY Founded through the National Parks Service
With over 400 sites maintained by the service,
Organic Act by Congress in August of 1916,
covering more than 84.6 million acres of land
the National Parks Service (NPS) is a govern-
across the country — more than 3.4% of all
ment agency dedicated to maintaining and
US land — this service has played an integral
conserving the national parks and monu-
part in leading the United State’s conservation
ments of the United States. The agency is well
efforts and maintaining natural resources and
known for hosting nature excursions, educa-
keeping them in pristine condition for future
tional services, and providing visitors with an
generations to appreciate for years to come.
experience of nature that’s been untapped by innovations of modern society. Over the years, the National Parks Service
landmarks in addition to natural ones.
has positioned itself to represent a world
They have worked on maintaining historical
of adventure and discovery for generations — a place to escape from the infrastructure of modern life — and as a way for people to appreciate the natural world around them.
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In addition, the National Park Service has taken on the responsibility to maintain cultural
locations across the country and uses these sites for educating visitors about US history.
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BRAND TIMELINE
1933: Signed by President Roosevelt the Reorganization Act implemented new responsibility for the service to cater to cultural monuments.
1872:
1952:
Yellowstone Act of 1872 establishes Yellowstone National Park as the first public park under government care.
Initiated by Director Conrad Wirth,
1916:
facilities, garner resources, and improve the overall care for parks by 1966.
1936:
1966:
On August 25th,
Preservation of
The National
President Wilson
Historic Sites Act
Parks Service 50th
signed the Organic
implemented to
Anniversary.
Act which set to
protect historical
establish a national park service.
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Mission 66 aimed to upgrade
locations across US
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
1978: Redwood Amendment added to the General Authorities Act to expand Redwood National Park.
1970:
2016:
The first national lake shores
The National Park
were created to protect
Service’s 100 year
national landmarks like the
anniversary.
Great Lakes.
1983: National Heritage Act was implemented to protect sites of cultural significance.
HISTORY OF THE NPS With the establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872 by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1st, 1872, this initiative was the start of a movement that has continued for more than 100 years, inspiring initiatives
1977:
for natural conservation, environmental and historical education, and culture preservation.
Spearheaded by President Carter, the Alaska Expansion Act dedicated over 47 million acres of Alaskan land to the NPS.
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
ABOUT THE BRAND
WHY THE REBRANDING? A common phrase amongst American is “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, so why the rebrand initiative? If the National Parks Service has been able to keep things going after 100 years, what’s the point of changing things? It’s a valid question no doubt, but the point of the rebranding project isn’t to “fix” anything. This initiative is meant to lead the National Park Service into a new era, into the future of what the brand could be, to elevate it beyond what it currently is, not fixing the old, but taking steps towards something that captures the “soul” of the National Park Service and firmly establishes it as a brand that has a place in our modern and technological age.
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
The National Park Service has been a beacon for values centered around inspiration, education, and conservation. It has acted as a platform for American natives, international visitors, and passing tourists alike to learn about American history, our natural resources, and explore vast landscapes of untouched natural environments. But in such a connected and ever growing technological age of innovation, what role does the National Park Service play? Does it continue to be a museum of natural monuments, or is there a way to further the NPS brand in relevance to modern society?
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
MISSION STATEMENT
TO THE ROOTS The idea isn’t to change the fundamental identity of the National Parks Service. Throughout this process, the whole idea is to focus in on what makes the NPS unique, what parts make up the brand’s core values and to elevate the brand to the next level. By defining the “soul” of the brand and it’s unique selling position we can highlight the strengths, weaknesses, gaps, and opportunities within the brand, to then move forward with a stronger foundation to build off of.
“SOUL” OF THE BRAND Inspiring generations to appreciate, conserve, and immerse themselves within the cultural and natural resources of the United States.
UNIQUE SELLING POSITION: As the NPS is fundamentally a government agency. it allows it more leverage than other conservation organizations when implementing change and can implement new initiatives across the country.
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“OUR GOAL IS TO CONSERVE OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND INSPIRE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.” — NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, MISSION STATEMENT
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BRAND ATTRIBUTES
BRAND ATTRIBUTES FURTHER DEFINING THE BRAND Once the core values of the brand was established, and the mission statement was defined, the next step was to zero in on a series of attributes that made up the brand soul and how that could be represented through a collection of buzzwords, key words and phrases, and additional visual representation. While things like the mission statement and unique selling position help us understand the foundation of the brand, keywords and visual semiotics help us further branch out from that foundation and assist in identifying where a brand can go and what it’s limited to.
THE BUZZWORDS The chart to the right, illustrating the categories of buzzwords used to analyze the brand, help us figure out strengths and weaknesses, and aspirational goals of where the brand “should be”. The positive/ relevant, negative/stale, and the neutral categories are all words that have already been established and connected to the brand over time. The aspirational words are chosen from the previous categories to give us a frame of reference on what direction we want the new brand to take. This exercise also makes sure we’re creating the new brand from established ideas and concepts that the brand has created in the past.
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POSITIVE/RELEVANT CARING, EDUCATIONAL, REJUVENATING, PHILANTHROPIC, HOPEFUL, ADVENTURE
NEGATIVE/STALE WHERE WE ARE
SCATTERED, GREEN, OUTDATED, PREDICTABLE, NICHE, REMOTE, BORING
NEUTRAL COMMUNITY, ESTABLISHED, MINDFUL, OPEN, HISTORIC, VAST
ASPIRATIONAL WHERE WE WANT TO BE
EDUCATIONAL, REJUVENATING, COMMUNITY, OPEN, ADVENTURE
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
KEYWORDS
THE KEYWORDS When tackling any project or understanding any brand, keywords are a great way to identify integral parts of a brand’s identity. Ask yourself, what are three words you would use to describe yourself? Can these three words apply to other people as well? Why do these three words relate to you specifically? This is the principle of keywords. To the right, you’ll find three keywords that make up the core values of the NPS brand. It should be noted, that keywords are different from buzzwords. While both are descriptive of the brand, buzzwords are generally words that audiences use to describe the brand, while keywords could rarely, if ever be publically used or associated with an audiences’ perspective. Keywords are more for internal use, meant to help anyone analyzing the brand’s description and potential to identify the core tenants of the brand, and the “soul” of what makes it unique.
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
INSPIRATION Communicating the importance, and sharing the wonder of natural resources in the US.
CONNECTING FACT:
Through the National Parks Foundation, a large non-profit organization run under the NPS, the organization is help funding initiatives to bolster cultural heritage, and strengthen communities at a local level.
CONSERVATION Maintaining & bettering the natural resources of the US, working towards sustainability and stronger environmental policy.
CONNECTING FACT:
The National Park Service covers & maintains 84.4 million acres of land across the USA.
EDUCATION Generating initiatives & tailoring experiences to establish deep connections that bridge the gap between a person and the natural world around them.
CONNECTING FACT:
The National Park Service offers dozens of educational programs that teach at all education levels.
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OUR PAST Up until now, the National Park Service has been very rural oriented, disconnected from the world and in many cases, a time capsule of an earlier era of exploration, rural living, and nature appreciation. It’s through this disconnection that the brand has ended up dated, and cliche.
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OUR PAST
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OUR FUTURE
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
OUR FUTURE Moving forward, our goal is to bridge the gap between rural and urban landscape. To bring the National Park Service closer to home and into a more locally driven space to make the NPS more accessible to all.
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MARKET ANALYSIS
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
02 MARKET ANALYSIS THE COMPETITION
By identifying commonalities, positives, and negatives amongst the competition we can hone in on what’s working, what isn’t, what to strive for. Looking at the competition in the market today helps us learn what direction to continue to move forward with for the new branding direction.
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MARKET ANALYSIS
MARKET ANALYSIS THE COMPETITION After initial research, analyzing the brand’s strengths and weaknesses, identifying it’s “soul” and mission statement, we look to the competition to see what other companies or organizations are out there that are similar to our brand. What brands does the current brand compete against? Who is occupying the market space we’re aspiring to occupy? Are there adjacent brands that relate to certain aspects of our brand but not others? Why? These questions and subsequent research help ground our future brand and gives us a frame of reference on what our brand will be going up again, ways it’ll need to differentiate itself, and tropes to avoid to help it stand out from its competitors.
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
CURRENT COMPETITION As the NPS is primarily a government agency, there’s a broader network of departments and bureaus that overlap with NPS’s goals and initiatives. So currently, competition is mostly limited to other agencies and services within the US government but also include companies that base themselves around outdoor activities or nature activities and education.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Established in 1970, this US agency focuses on environmental conservation within the legal system on a federal level. It’s jurisdiction is in maintaining and enforcing national standards for environmental laws.
US FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE The USFWS is more focused on animal based conservation, and making sure citizens abide by hunting and fishing laws, enacted to maintain and conserve the USAs natural resources.
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CURRENT COMPETITORS
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH A political advocacy group dedicated to fighting for environmental initiatives on an international political platform.
US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The USGS is a researched focused agency of the US that studies natural resources and natural disasters, while working on initiatives to maintain valuable resources.
OUTWARD BOUND Outward Bound is an education service that provides outdoor educational experiences that help students develop technical and soft skills while being outdoors.
NRCS The Natural Resource Conservation Service works more on a state and local level with farmers and agricultural services to help maintain healthy landscapes and promote sustainable agriculture.
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US FOREST SERVICE Like the NPS, the US Forest Service in charge of monitoring, conserving, and bettering natural resources within the US. They focus in particular on established national forests, and grasslands.
APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB Connecting people of all ages to the outdoors through a series of excursions, nature resources, and educational programs. Specifically dedicated to the Appalachian area of the United States.
AEE The Association for Experiential Education is a non-profit that provides opportunities for individuals to gain and build skills through hands on experiences.
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Specifically tasked with managing public lands promoting sustainable building practices and mindful energy consumption.
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ADJACENT COMPETITORS
THE NATURE CONSERVANCY International non-profit organization that funds scientific discovery, natural conservation, and preservation of natural resources.
THE SIERRA CLUB Spearheads grassroots environmental initiatives at the local, and federal level. Promotes sustainability education and works towards providing more nature friendly solutions.
WORLD WILDLIFE FUND International non-profit that promotes sustainability, nature education, and wildlife conservation.
GREENPEACE An environmental political advocacy group, that centers its efforts around fighting for sustainable laws and more environmentally friendly governing policies.
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POLLINATOR PARTNERSHIP A niche non-profit raising awareness on the ecological, economic, and sociological importance of pollinator species.
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION Self described as a member focused trade organization for the outdoor industry. Supports beneficial trade policies, establishes sustainable business practices, and innovation for encouraging outdoor activity.
PROJECT ADVENTURE An educational non-profit service dedicated to providing outdoor experiences that promote learning and building skills through fun adventures and local community efforts.
NATIONAL AUDUBON SOCIETY Conservation focused non-profit organization that funds scientific research, environmental advocacy groups, and conservation efforts.
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NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
ADJACENT COMPETITORS
ADJACENT COMPETITION Adjacent competitors would includes companies and organizations that don’t focus on conservation or education, but are strictly geared towards outdoor tourism, adventures, and experiences. These brands are still adjacent in terms of their relevance towards nature, but aren’t focused on philanthropic initiatives like direct competition. They gravitate more towards entertainment and experiences.
REI CO-OP Similar to Backroads, REI co-op has a number of events, initiatives, local activities, and larger adventure packages all with the goal of encouraging people to get outdoors.
AMERICAN HIKING SOCIETY Their mission is to empower others to enjoy, share, and preserve the hiking experience. This brand uses its resources to encourage outdoor activities on the local level and advocate for the benefits of being outdoors.
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PATAGONIA An outdoor clothing brand that uses its resources to advocate for sustainable business practices, environmental causes, and appreciating the natural world.
THE NORTH FACE An outdoor clothing and gear company that supports the conservation of natural resources and encourages exploration and curiosity about nature.
RAILS TO TRAILS A recreational non-profit organization who’s goal it is to turn old and abandoned rail ways into nature foot trails to encourage exploration and nature appreciation.
FJALLRAVEN A clothing and backpack company that centers around sustainable practices and encouraging its audiences to adventure into and discover the outdoors.
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ADJACENT COMPETITORS
BACKCOUNTRY An outdoor gear company that strives to be the best at what they do all the while encouraging outdoor exploration.
NOLS The National Outdoor Leadership School is a non-profit wilderness education program that dedicates its efforts towards building valuable life skills while immersing people in natural environments.
BACKROADS A travel agency focusing on active and outdoor recreational experiences, that connects people to adventures interested in hiking, cycling, and other outdoor activities.
MAZAMAS A non-profit organization that’s dedicated to mountaineering education and encouraging exploration across our worlds mountains.
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NATURAL HABITAT ADVENTURES A travel agency that’s strictly focused with connecting travel goers to nature experiences and adventures in the wilderness. Partners with the WWF to encourage sustainable travel practices.
TREKAMERICA A travel agency geared towards young adult travelers and encouraging experiences and natural wonders over urban and “tourist” locations across the United States.
WILDERNESS ADVENTURES An educational and outdoor adventure organization that provides enriching and valuable opportunities for growth while surrounded by the natural world.
GO PRO A tech company producing sports cameras who’s brand focuses on the spirit of adventure, outdoor activity, and worldly exploration in their customers.
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FUTURE COMPETITORS
FUTURE COMPETITION Future competition is fairly self explanatory. As the National Park Service moves into this new branding initiative, what competition will it face? How will this change with its current competition, and will this effect how the brand will interact in the market place? Asking these sorts of questions and anticipating potential competition in the future is a great way to try and leverage the unique selling position of a brand in the earliest stages of development and will set a strong foundation for creating any future deliverables.
EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE An educational organization that gets ordinary citizens involved in scientific research and environmental analysis and uses programs like these to promote scientific discovery.
360.ORG An international advocacy group who’s goal is to help humanity bolster use of sustainable energy resources, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels, switching over to completely sustainable practices like wind, solar, and hydro power.
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC A media network that promotes nature, exploration, wildlife research, and conservation efforts through storytelling and connecting viewers to nature on a deeper emotional level.
WILDCARE Community focused, wildcare aims to provide nature education in more niche fields like wildlife medicine and making these topics more well known to the general population.
ONYX SOLAR A tech company that’s the lead producer and manufacturer of photovoltic glass and pavers, which produced solar powered energy.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION An educational and advocacy group based in the US that strives to uphold conservationist ethics and inspiring people to take action towards conservation efforts, focusing more on wildlife than any other aspect of nature.
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FUTURE COMPETITORS
NAAEE The North American Association for Environmental Education works on providing environmental education and working towards increasing what they dub “environmental literacy” to help bolster civic responsibility.
RAINFOREST ALLIANCE An international non-profit that advocates for sustainability and environmentally friendly business practices.
NATIONAL CLEAN UP DAY An initiatives by CleanTrails that focuses on providing nature’s education and awareness as well as spearheading a call to action for individuals to do their part to help the environment.
STAND.EARTH Formally known as ForestEthics, Stand.Earth is an organization that advocates for community and environmental rights.
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TESLA An automotive and energy company that provides alternative energy solutions to fossil fuels, (particularly solar energy) and reducing our dependence on gas and oil.
PAVEGEN A tech company working on innovations that create smarter cities, and urban technologies that produce energy through the power of footsteps and every day foot traffic in cities.
PATAGONIA An outdoor clothing brand that uses its resources to advocate for sustainable business practices, environmental causes, and appreciating the natural world.
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THE AUDIENCE
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
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DEFINE THE AUDIENCE THE PERSONAS
One of the final stages of the research and strategy process before hitting the development stage, is establishing the brands audience. In this section, the guide breaks down individual audience personas, the purposes of establishing an audience before design development, and even including outliers audience personas to understand our audience limitations.
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AUDIENCE INTRODUCTION
ESTABLISHING THE AUDIENCE PURPOSE OF PERSONAS As mentioned previously, the purpose of establishing an audience before diving into the design development process is to make sure the brand has a clear focus of who it is targeting all design elements towards. Design for a 34 year old mom of two looks a lot different for a 16 year old teenage boy who’s into football. Knowing these sorts of demographics is critical for framing the design mindset and will be the final stone in our foundation. When creating a persona, there’s a specific set of information that is usually included to help a designer derive insights to take into the design development stage. These include demographic information like: name, age, occupation, location, but also includes what designers know as “ethnographic traits”. These are usually presented as a collection of bullet points that address traits that establish connections from the brand to the audience persona we’re crafting. Asking questions like: why would this person use the National Park Service? What history does this person have with this brand? Are their hobbies, activities, or obligations in this persona’s life where having the National Park Service accessible to them make things easier? This helps further ground the persona and then creates valuable insights for a designer to take into the next stage of development.
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ELIZABETH ADAMS
AGE:
29
Outdoor Adventurer FEMALE OCCUPATION: TRAVELING NURSE LOCATION: PACIFIC NORTHWEST
• Avid outdoors-woman, Liz frequently
• Uses a refillable water bottle because
travels to state and national parks for
she wants to reduce her plastic
week long hiking adventures to get a
consumption due to her concern about
change of scenery from the high stress
growing plastic pollution.
environment of her traveling career. • Does thorough and in-depth research herself whenever she’s planning to buy new camping hear because she wants to make sure business practice ethical consumption. • Doesn’t own a car because she enjoys taking public transportation to and from work, and therefore can’t travel long distances on a daily basis to engage in her outdoor hobbies.
• Her favorite thing about nature is the silence because she usually spends most of her time in a busy city. • She wants a quick way to connect with people in a new area that share her hobbies because she move around so often and doesn’t get the chance to establish roots with people with similar interests. • Likes to spend her weekday free time watching nature documentaries to get inspired to find other new places to visit.
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PERSONA PROFILES
CHRISTOPHER DAVIS
AGE:
46
Sustainable Builder MALE OCCUPATION: ARCHITECT LOCATION: SEATTLE, WA
•
•
Works for an architectural work as a
with innovation at his job because he was
passion for growing projects into their
raised to believe in making a positive
full potential.
impact if you have the ability to do so.
Wants to start incorporating more
He wants to connect to other individuals looking to make a local impact because
because he was raised to believe in
he believes in the power of a group effort.
Spends his free time with his husband, at local community events because he thinks it’s important to make connections on a local level. Carries around a metal straw in his bag to keep from using plastic ones because he read about how plastic wastes affect the oceans.
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•
sustainable practices into building plans
ability to do so.
•
Hopes to make an impact on his city
senior architect because he has a
making a positive impact if you have the
•
•
•
His favorite nature spot is the desert because it’s not a scenery he could easily access living in NYC.
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
SASHA LEE
AGE:
17
Impact Activist FEMALE OCCUPATION: STUDENT LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CA
•
•
Currently a senior in high school and
•
Maintains a mini urban garden with her mom in their apartment as a family
pursue a career in environmental law
activity but also to feel closer to nature in a big city environment
Wants to eventually get into politics to better the country’s environmental
•
•
wanting to further their education to
•
Her favorite nature spot is the beach
policies because she’s afraid of climate
because it’s a nostalgic connection to her
change.
early childhood.
She tries to avoid buying single-use
•
Tutors younger students who want to
packaging products as often as she
go in the same field as her because she
can because she wants to reduce her
thinks it’s important to be a leading
environmental impact.
role model in conservation initiatives.
Walks or uses a bike to get around town to lessen her carbon footprint.
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PERSONA PROFILES
ALICIA HOWARD
AGE:
35
Family Vacationer FEMALE OCCUPATION: INSURANCE AGENT LOCATION: ATLANTA, GA
•
•
Mother of three, Alicia works from home she’s raising younger kids who are not
her kids is interested in animals and
in school yet.
she wants to find ways to encourage
•
Wishes there were more outdoor spaces
ant for them to get a change of scenery
in her area to hang out in because she
every so often and see new places.
lives in a small townhouse and wants to stretch out every so often.
She shops strictly organic because she as possible. She lives in the city so she enjoys taking the opportunity to get out of the loud and bustling town on the weekends.
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her kid’s hobbies.
She plans a bi-annual family vacation for
wants to make sure her diet is as healthy
•
She Is looking for nature education programs in the area because one of
her family because she thinks it’s import-
•
•
as an part time insurance agent because
•
Enjoys visiting parks with extended family because they like to plan family gatherings to stay connected with each other.
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
LARRY PRICE
AGE:
63
Public Educator MALE OCCUPATION: TEACHER LOCATION: ST. CLOUD, MN
•
•
He has been a teacher in the public
He always shops at the town’s local farmers market to avoid buying food with
he has a passion for educating the
GMOs or preservatives because he’s
next generation.
particular about what kind of foods he eats.
He wants to inspire students on the
•
He chaperones for all school trips
importance of nature and being outside
because he wants to encourage student’s
because he’s concerned about an
curiousity when taking educational trips.
overreliance on technology in young people’s formative years. •
•
school system for over 35 years because
•
He wants to retire soon but is worried about the departments dwindling priority
Is an avid fisherman, and tries to spend
to keep students enthusiastic about the
one day fishing every weekend with his
outdoors and because of budget cuts.
grand children because it’s something he used to do with his father. •
Lives in the suburbs with his wife, but is a short driving distance from a state park so he can keep up the weekend fishing tradition.
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PERSONA PROFILES
JUSTIN LOPEZ
AGE:
38
Field Researcher MALE OCCUPATION: BIOLOGIST LOCATION: PORTLAND, OR
•
•
•
Justin is a field biologist, working for a for impurities because he’s passionate
thought it was important for the family
about understanding ecology..
kids to grow up together.
Has two kids that he likes to take to
•
Keeps up with news about climate
state parks on weekend to go boating
change and ecological changes be-
while his wife works because he wants
cause he wants to stay informed for his
to encourage a love for nature in them.
current profession.
He lives in the suburbs because it’s a
•
Very active in the local PTA because
convenient location to get into the city
he thinks it’s important to play an active
or into more rural areas easily for his
role in his children’s education.
He is concerned about his kids future because of climate change and growing pollution issues.
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Grew up visiting Mount Rainer National Park with his cousins because his family
job responsibilities. •
•
firm that studies water and soil samples
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
THE OUTLIERS An additional exercise when establishing the audience, is including a couple of personas that don’t fall within your target audience. This gives a designer the ability to further identify who exactly the brand is trying to target and what traits to avoid when appealing to an audience through both brand and future deliverables. For instance, the Urban Socialite persona on the following page wouldn’t be interested in rural and long term outdoor activities like the Outdoor Adventurer persona on page 047. These two personas would be opposites of one another and a brand wouldn’t be able to appeal to them both and remain consistent. The purpose of the outliers is to solidify who the brand IS NOT for and establishing a “cut off point” for the audience that the brand is trying to target.
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OUTLIER PROFILES
CASSANDRA YANG
AGE:
34
Urban Socialite FEMALE OCCUPATION: FOOD CRITIC LOCATION: NEW YORK CITY, NY NOT A TARGET AUDIENCE PERSONA
•
Cass is a food critic and blogger that because she enjoys the fast paced
rural environments.
because they like having a great view of the whole city. She spends her weekends usually at high caliber social events discussing business opportunities and social trends because she’s very focused on keeping up with social trends. •
In her down time she likes to practice yoga, and cook with her friends because she enjoys having a social circle she can regularly hang with.
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Her husband is a real estate broker and together they live in a high rise condo
•
She grew up in the big city, so she isn’t too interested in visiting any of the local
urban environment. •
•
spends most of her time in the big city
She does a lot of traveling around the country because of her business.
•
Isn’t really into nature because she finds nature-centric activities boring.
VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
ERIC PATEL
AGE:
25
Tech Entrepreneur MALE OCCUPATION: BUSINESS OWNER LOCATION: PHOENIX, AZ NOT A TARGET AUDIENCE PERSONA
•
Eric is driven and focused on building because he wants to be able to retire at
work schedule. •
Goes to the gym with his buddies at least
He doesn’t have a lot of free time but
three times a week because he wants to
when he does, it’s usually spent playing
maintain a certain level of fitness & health.
video games or going to the bar with friends to get a break from his work. •
He usually eats out because it saves time for work or hobbies in his weekly
a young age. •
•
his tech business from the ground up
Likes to spend weekends at his girl-
•
Not really into nature because he thinks nature is dangerous when it’s too far outside of urban and populated areas.
friends place because they don’t see each other during the week. •
Enjoys watching movies because he prioritizes keeping in the know with pop culture trends.
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VISUAL STRATEGY GUIDE
MOVING FORWARD By zeroing in on the “soul� of what makes the National Park Service unique, establishing the target audience of who the brand is for, as well as taking the time to analyze current and potential and future competition, this strategy guide is setting a strong foundation for the next stage in the brand ideation process, for visual development, which will tackle the logo and additional visual elements that will represent the entire brand.
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“WILDERNESS ITSELF IS THE BASIS OF ALL OUR CIVILIZATION.” — MARGARET (MARDY) MURIE, WILDERNESS SOCIETY COUNCIL
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REFERENCES
1.
npshistory.com/
2.
unsplash.com/
1.
www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htm
2.
www.unsplash.com/
3.
www.nationalparks.org/
4.
www.100yearsofnps.com/
5.
www.onyxsolar.com/
6.
www.pa.org
7.
outdoorindustry.org/who-we-are/
8.
www.outdoors.org/about/mission
9.
www.aee.org/about
10. foe.org/about-us/ 11. www.wildernessadventures.com/history/ 12. www.nathab.com/about/ 13. mazamas.org/about/ 14. www.backroads.com/why 15. www.nols.edu/en/about/ 16. https://www.traillink.com/ 17. www.patagonia.com/company-info.html 18. https://www.nationalparkstraveler. org/2014/09/tracing-history-national-park-service-emblems25660 19. https://www.flickr.com/photos/donshall/5014570538
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COLOPHON
GR604 NATURE OF IDENTITY SEMESTER: FALL 2019 INSTRUCTOR: HUNTER WIMMER IMAGES: UNSPLASH.COM, NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE 062
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