LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Kentucky Climate Consortium recently unveiled their new logo. Atmospheric layers, solar rays, precipitation, land and streams are all represented in the graphic, which was contributed by Sanger & Eby Design, a creative agency in Cincinnati.
A statewide consortium headquartered at the University of Kentucky, KYCC acts as a catalyst for climate research and education in the state by providing networking opportunities for Kentucky-based climate scholars and educators. The network provides them with a base to collaboratively pursue climate-related research, teaching and public outreach. Since Kentucky is a rural state that depends on agriculture and the forest industry for much of its economy, the commonwealth could feel the results of climate change in its wallet. The consortium’s director, Lauren Cagle, assistant professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric and Digital Studies in the UK College of Arts and Sciences, wanted a logo that represented climate change’s many aspects and consequences that affect all the regions in the state.
When she reached out to Sanger & Eby to see if they might be able to design such a logo with the consortium’s limited budget, she was greeted with enthusiasm. The agency counts social responsibility as one of its core values, and KYCC’s mission to encourage environmental stewardship spoke to what the creative team believe.
“It really resonated with me and with my team, when I shared the consortium’s mission of helping educate about environmental issues,” said Katie Krafka, director of client engagement at Sanger & Eby.
To Cagle’s delight, Krafka offered the company’s services pro bono.
“They surprised me with the offer,” Cagle said. “They didn’t have a pro bono client at the time. Their office is sustainability-minded, so they were excited to offer it to us. They put so much time and thought into how best to represent the environment and convey the goals of the consortium. Their contribution is a perfect example of the importance of community participation when addressing environmental issues. We’re all delighted with the final logo.”
Senior designer Krista Boughner and designer Nick Sjulin initially developed 11 options. After two sets of revisions based on input from the KYCC committee, the final logo, with two color options, was chosen as a design that truly represented KYCC’s focus.
“I cannot recommend Sanger & Eby enough,” Cagle said. “They were really invested in understanding the full context of the project.”
For more information about the Kentucky Climate Consortium, visit https://www.research.uky.edu/climate-consortium or contact Cagle at lauren.cagle@uky.edu.
— Carol Lea Spence, University of Kentucky