Nearing the end of my final semester, one of our studios was introduced to our last project which would involve working with clientele. A variety of ambassadors for different projects were brought into the class to speak about the type of work their company did, as well as what they were looking for out of student submitted work. This was when I was first introduced to Dan and Christina Defenbaugh.

The duo came in front of the class and opened my eyes to the 10-42 Project. A non-profit organization working with first responders and emergency services to help staff receive life saving assistance with issues developed on duty. From therapy, family support, and even substance abuse the 10-42 Project was there to help out those who are called to emergencies. With Dan being a police officer and almost being drawn to ending his life, they have the experience and the resources to work with these life saving employees without having them worry about being let go due to reaching out for help.

It was during their presentation, and having friends in the first responder communities, that made me immediately reach out. After grabbing one of their business cards, I sent them an email to introduce myself and my desire to work with them before I was even assigned to them by my teacher. When discussing what they desired from the project, they had admitted to an absence of cohesive systems and were open to a full brand rework.

My experience with Dan and Christina has been nothing short of a joy during the short month duration of the class project. At every step of the way they were open to reviewing sketch ideas, questions and concerns, and gave over full creative control to any ideas developed. Overall, while presenting them with the final work in the last week of class they expressed their absolute delight with the development and expressed great desire with adapting the brand identity to their project in the future.

The primary logo design has gone through several ideas and iterations, especially due to a desire to remain impartial to specific branches of emergency services. The final logo depicts a Eagle with a spread wingspan to not only represent the open arms policy of the project, but to display the ever vigilant protection of emergency services. Within the center of the eagles body lies a shield of protection created in negative space, a symbol used within many logos and visuals by emergency services. The star placed in the center of the symbol is a nod to the guidance and protection provided by both the project and first responders alike. Finally the 6 segmented tail feathers forming a diamond shape gives the eagle a sense of speed that is very much associated with emergency response. While the logo may often be portrayed in full white or full black, the 6 tail feathers may also be adorned with the different color pairings that are associated with the 6 branches of emergency service they support: Police, Firefighters, EMS, Nurses, Dispatch, and Corrections.

The fonts selected for use within the brands system were chosen for legibility and simplicity within both large scale displays and collections of smaller text. The 3 primary colors were chosen in nod to the flashing lights of emergency sirens, while being careful not to match colors used by specific branches too closely.

For development materials that were presented alongside the logo and style guide, A brochure mockup was created in nod to and idea for a bran campaign based on phrase they use in helping each individual. "No One Walks Alone" is not only a statement, but a promise to each and every person who may walk through their doors that their will always be support by their side, no matter the challenge. Options for business card designs were experimented with, making use of dual-sided informational delivery alongside the brands colors and identifying marks from within the logo.

A short collection of display mockups were created to show how the logo may be used in brand recognition for use in events and fundraising, consisting of buttons that may be handed out and apparel to be sold or worn by the brand's ambassadors. The designs of hats and polo shirts were kept minimal, with embroidered logos alongside the brand's colors for a clean, minimalistic and professional approach.

Working on this project as well as alongside Dan and Christina was a very unique opportunity that I feel extremely blessed for. While the short timeframe provided by class as well as delays with responses limited the amount that was able to be developed, I have no plans on stopping this project anytime soon. I am prioritizing remaining in contact with Dan and Christina to help develop their system farther then where it may currently lie, as well as to be available for their design needs wherever may it may take them. At the time of this posting in early may 2024, I have been in discussion with the couple for redeveloping their projects website alongside signage and more informational materials for their fundraiser events.

I would highly encourage looking into the 10-42 Project if you wish to support getting the assistance to those that provide so much for the communities around them. If you have any desire to reach out or donate to them, there website can be found at 10-42project.com as well as their podcasts where they discuss the experiences of services members they have helped which can be found on Youtube and Spotify by looking up the "Shared Voices Podcast."