Redesigning the Visual Identity of Non-profit Organizations: The Case Study of Escola Oficina

Abstract

This article seeks to analyze the importance of Corporate Visual Identity (CVI) for non-profit and social solidarity organizations. It starts from the case study of Escola Oficina (EO), where an evaluation and consequent redesign of its CVI was developed. This study, developed within the ECHO research project, funded by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), arose from a problem, identified by EO itself, that consisted of making known the activity developed and, above all, to minimize the generalised distrust of consumers regarding its products. EO is a social project located in Vila Nova de Gaia, in northern Portugal, and its main goal is to empower and prepare unemployed citizens, namely from vulnerable communities, for a future integration into the labour market. This chapter is based on a Case Study methodology, supported by a literature review and exploratory interviews. The main results were the development of a new corporate visual identity solution for Escola Oficina, in response to the problems identified in this study.