Fairborn City Schools: Brand Refresh

Fairborn Schools holds a special place in the heart of our own alumni, Kelly. So when Fairborn approached us in the midst of their construction plans for new schools, including prepping for opening of the new High School in 2024, we dug right in. Over the course of 10 months, we worked with the Fairborn School District along with a team of Fairborn stakeholders consisting of members from the board of education, alumni, building administration, teachers, students and community members to ensure representation and alignment with future goals and to get multiple perspectives. The brand refresh includes new academic and district wide logos and specific guidelines for colors, typography and consistent brand usage.

Year

2023

What We Did

Strategy, Messaging, Video, Illustration, Design, Branding, Collateral

Our first project was to redesign a new school district logo that represents Fairborn schools as a whole. It was built to unite the district visually, providing something for everyone (staff, faculty, community, students, alumni) to connect with. We brought the aesthetic into modern day, while still giving a nod to the history and nostalgia of Fairborn’s storied past. This new logo and corresponding logo suite, has the versatility and scale for future growth as the brand continues to move in every corner of the school district.

Academics is a huge part of Fairborn and its history. So, we also gave the academic crest a facelift. We updated the design to a single color with clean lines and a unified style of iconography to represent all of the elements that make Fairborn unique. This crest will be used for formal academic cases like graduation diplomas and academic certificates.

The brand guide was developed with the user in mind—we made it as comprehensive and clear as possible, to help guide and ensure consistent brand usage by Fairborn City Schools. This included an expanded color palette, new typography, and brand elements that bring a fresh energy to the brand overall.

For the ribbon cutting and the opening of the new high school in 2024, we filmed a heartfelt message from students, staff, alumni, parents and community members about how they feel about Fairborn and the schools. The video brought tears to many, and a warm and fuzzy feeling for all. We’ll be creating more video content for the school system that features students and their experiences in the new school to show everyone how amazing Fairborn truly is.

The Boom Crate team DELIVERED on this brand and the history of the school system and new energy is apparent in this refreshed visual identity and modern design. It’s been rewarding to hear how well the new brand has been received by the school district, faculty, Fairborn families, and community members. We can’t wait to see where this new direction takes them.