The Indigenous Connectivity Institute is a community of leaders working together to overcome the historical lack of affordable, accessible, and reliable internet access in Indigenous communities. We are working to ensure that Indigenous people in Canada and the United States can lead their digital futures. 

To build a brand identity that represents this mission, we worked with Justin Gilbert of Kuvua Designs, a graphic designer born and raised on the Southern Ute Reservation in Colorado. 

We give Justin three goals to guide the design process:

1) To represent our mission to advance internet connectivity.

2) To be inclusive of North American Indigenous communities without being specific to one single group.

3) To create a design with a modern, clean look.

In our kick-off meeting, we talked through a range of possible design ideas and hit upon the idea of the cross-section of the fiber duct. We liked the literal depiction of connectivity through the fiber while also celebrating the idea of groups coming together to deliver a wider goal, represented by a series of circles within a circle.

We also talked through various ways to include geometric shapes and patterns typical across Indigenous Peoples to help reinforce the Indigenous identity of the organization. 

From here, Justin presented us with a series of possible logo designs, invited our feedback and asked us to select one or two designs to carry forward.

We then iterated further with the designs, exploring different colors, typography, and subtle changes in shape and size before arriving at the final logo design.

We’d love to know what you think! You can share feedback at press@connecthumanity.fund.

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Traci Morris is Executive Director at the American Indian Policy Institute.

Bill Murdoch is acting Executive Director at Clear Sky Connections.

Both are members of the Indigenous Connectivity Institute advisory committee.