Tip Sheet: Building a Project Name and Identity

/ Community Workshop LL/

It’s just a short-term community planning project. So you don’t need to spend hours figuring out a name and designing a logo, right? Wrong. If you want your community project to have impact, you need to be thoughtful about your project’s identity — name, graphics, look and feel, and key messages. You might not need a logo, but you do need to make a thoughtful choice.

Here’s how to think through what you need and how to design it.

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What’s a project identity and why do we need one?

Your project will have an “identity,” whether you like it or not. That’s true whether you’re planning a 1-day river cleanup or a 3-year master planning process. People will gather and build impressions of any project. It’s up to you whether you decide to actively shape it. (Pro tip: you should.)

Project identity is similar to brand identity. When entrepreneurs start a new company or launch a product, they have to name it, design the packaging, write copy. These are all very intentional choices designed to convince consumers to buy (or buy in). You may not think of your project as something to “sell,” but it helps to do so. You’re offering a community process or activity; you’re asking people to give time, attention, trust, resources, and perhaps even money. And you probably have competition.

There are several different elements of any brand identity. You may decide that you don’t need to shape or develop them all, and some may be decided for you. But here’s what you should consider:

  • Project name

  • Personality and messaging

  • Fonts, colors and visual design

  • Logo and graphics


Project identity gallery

Here’s a look at some project logos, materials, and identity components.

So, what do we need?

That depends on a lot of things — your project, your plans, and your community. Here are some big questions to ask as you start to plan.

  • Do you already have an identity? If your project has been around for awhile, or is part of an established organization, then you probably do. You may choose to align or coordinate with an existing identity or start from scratch. Or you may intentionally choose to differentiate yourselves.

  • How long will this last? Is this a standalone project or potentially a larger umbrella for other efforts? Is your project a short-term effort, or might it evolve into a long-term collaboration or organization? Think not just about your current plans, but where your project might go. You can always change your name, but if you have long-term ambitions then you may want a name that last.

  • What activities and materials do you need? Will you have a website? Print materials? Posters? Events? Getting clear on what you plan to do — and how you plan to communicate — will help you decide whether you need graphic design elements like a logo, fonts and color palette.

  • What words will resonate? What won’t? A project name needs to resonate, and people often have strong associations with words and identity elements. Think about words that will align with your community’s values and words that might turn people off. Think not just about the majority, but about groups that might be marginalized or often left out. Think about whether names or words have been used for other efforts that people already know, and what impressions they might already have. And test your options — try them out with people before you commit.

  • What’s the local culture? Your identity needs to mesh with your local culture and zeitgeist, and that may influence how much you invest in designing your identity. If you’re part of a folksy community that is suspicious of fancy, high-budget projects, then you might not want to release a slick logo and branding package. If your community would look on a homespun logo as unprofessional, then you may need to invest in order to be taken seriously. The key is to know your community.

Project Name Suggestions

Here’s some project name inspiration to get you started. We’ve included a mix of real projects and made-up examples. What makes a great name? It’s short. It’s engaging. It’s descriptive. It’s forward-looking. It’s catchy. It’s locally specific.

Yes, you’re free to steal.

Visioning & community planning processes

  • Envision Victor

  • Vision Springfield

  • San Miguel: Your Voice, Your Vision

  • Golden: Vision 2030

  • Geneva 2030

  • Plan BTV (*BTV is a nickname for Burlington, VT)

  • Richmond: Our Town, Our Future

  • Our Woodstock, Our Future

  • MetroFuture

  • Reimagine Laconia

  • Imagine Marieville

Revitalization & community development processes/initiatives

  • Revitalize Waterbury

  • Perkinsville Forward

  • One Valley

  • Tasker Tomorrow

  • Revive Hopkinton

  • Laclerc Now

  • Our Watson

  • Resilient Jonestown

  • New River Valley Livability Initiative

  • Connect Hyde Park

Combination planning processes / ongoing organizations

  • 1 Berkshire

  • Vermont Stronger

  • Opportunity Appalachia

  • Create VT

  • Ignite San Esteban

  • St. Mary Together

  • Heart of Biddeford