Bike BloNo
The Problem
American cities are seeing the long-term benefits of sustainable, dense, and health-focused urban development more and more. Transportation is at the heart of this growth, connecting homes to super-markets, children to schools, people to jobs, and neighborhoods to other neighborhoods. Many cities such as Bloomington-Normal, Illinois are on the cusp of this growth and renewal, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Education, research, programming and public/private partnership are key factors in ensuring responsible, sustainable growth.
The Project
Bike BloNo formed in 2012 in reaction to a small but loud opposition to bike lanes. An equal dialogue was needed for the community. Bike BloNo is made up of volunteers in the community and functions as a bike policy and infrastructure advocacy arm for Bloomington-Normal. To ensure the community stays competitive, youthful, and sustainable, Bike BloNo works to increase public awareness of the benefits of biking, and work closely with city planners to match that demand with thoughtful accessible infrastructure.
Responsibilities
- Acted as chief creative professional for the organization.
- Created logo and identity.
- Conceptualize and implement non-traditional forms of communication.
- Supported all design and identity aspects of fundraising efforts.
- Lead efforts toward a city wide Safety Awareness Campaign.
The Solution
The Bike BloNo logo departs from traditional iconography seen in most bike organizations by not using any reference to a bike, be it a wheel, hub, chain, chain ring or bike itself. Instead, since Bike BloNo’s chief focus is on infrastructure and city progress, the logo is built from a chevron; an icon used in direction and way-finding and is present in most bike lanes. Pointed upwards and to the right, it utilizes a classic marketing technique of suggesting progress, but also references grid-based design of the Bauhaus (and subtly inverts the iconography seen in one the biggest oil corporations). Keeping the color palette restricted to black, white and one accent color invokes the colors of paint on the road and signage, as well as keeps printing cheap but striking, broadening the organization’s reach.
The Work
The Results
Bike BloNo has seen a meteoric success in Bloomington-Normal. The group has cultivated close relationships with city councils, staff and mayors for both cities, and is frequently referenced as a trusted source on the topic of responsible transportation improvements. The no-nonsense and reasonable approach to imagery and marketing have solidified this trust. Publicly their brand and tenacity is well supported, and fans often sport the now famous “I Bike BloNo” tshirts.