More than three years in development and 18 years after the initial design was made, the Friends of Tulare County (FTC) Board of Directors approved a new logo to utilize starting in 2023. The new logo is in direct correlation with the nonprofit celebrating 20 years of supporting Tulare County residents.
On August 8, 2022, graphic artists Krista Studwell (Tulare County HHSA contractor) and Sarah Smith (Tulare County HHSA Women, Infants & Children manager/FTC program lead) presented their original and creative efforts to the Board of Directors. In collaboration with nearly 30 FTC program leads and the HHSA Community Outreach Team, research hours were spent regarding design elements, design presentations, and ADA compliance.
New Logo Design Explanation
From the perspective of the 32 programs under the nonprofit, Friends of Tulare County has been committed to supporting initiatives focused on serving our community. At the heart of it all is Friends of Tulare County – helping programs follow through with promised initiatives and outreach.
Friends of Tulare County supports these programs in their efforts by providing a platform and outlet for programs to broaden their outreach efforts and help more people.
Friends of Tulare County, to us, means compassion for people, passion for service, and love for our community. Thus, we chose a heart as an icon to portray the true meaning of Friends of Tulare County.
Font
We made the word FRIENDS the prominent word feature and made it bold so that people would make the association of the word friends with the program and then of Tulare County as the subtitle. The of Tulare County is a script font that is softer, allowing the focus to be on the word FRIENDS.
Color Palette
Blues/Greens: Having two dominant (navy blue and green) and a secondary light-blue color simplifies the logo, without the distraction of incorporating lots of colors.
Meaning of Colors
Greens and blues are safe and open to interpretation. To help find meaning, green is known to represent growth, health, and vitality. It’s also used to associate things with nature and earth and new life. It can also mean change and progress. All terms listed are relatable for Tulare County. Blues represent trust, loyalty, and peace, and can be a symbol for healing and hope.
Words
The words Friends of Tulare County can be stand-alone; they can be a logo in and of themselves. Being bold yet simple makes the word “FRIENDS” the ultimate focus.
Heart
The heart adds a discrete design element without overdoing or exaggerating the logo yet highlights the meaning behind FRIENDS. The “heart” represents Friends as compassionate and supportive to everyone in the Tulare County community in its efforts to create and sustain relationships and bridge gaps. Each FRIENDS program is the heart behind all these organizations as they help others in our community.
Color Blocks
This logo shows different colors in the blocks and represent all the different ways that a person within our community can be helped through FRIENDS—and focuses on the person/people that the program is able to help. It shows an inclusivity element.