NO MORE! An amazing design solution to a great challenge.

I was looking for identity designs, thinking I would find some cool company that produces innovative products...I don't know what I was looking for, really. However, what I came across that caught my eye was a blue circle with a white circle, or circular hole, inside (it looks like a donut) with the simple words, "NO MORE" underneath (using the same "donut" for the O in NO). As simple as it was, it made me want to take a closer look and find out what it was about. No more what?

It turns out to be the award-winning visual identity for the NO MORE program, which was created by a coalition of top executives from leading U.S. corporations, advocacy, and service organizations, to bring about major change by uniting companies, organizations, communities—people all over the world—in ending domestic violence and sexual assault.

It was designed by Sterling Brands who had the challenging job of creating the "public face of this unprecedented initiative." (Sterling Brands web site) They created NO MORE's name, visual identity, and application strategy. Wow. That's quite a daunting task!

The circle within a circle is a symbol with a profound meaning. This is what Sterling says about it: "At the heart of this identity is the Vanishing Point—a powerful symbol rendered in a custom-formulated shade of blue, designed to signal broad social change (akin to the ubiquitous ribbon in the cause space). It stands for hope—a light at the end of tunnel and a safe, inclusive, stigma-free zone for discussion in the charge to eradicate DV/SA."

Pretty amazing. And obviously they have numerous celebrities who are promoting and supporting the cause. I really, really like the way it draws you in with the simple design that is so powerful and important. It's easily recognizable and will hopefully be integrated into our visual culture. Some of the slogans they are using (such as "ALL FOR NONE" and "EVEN ONE IS TOO MANY") are direct and to the point. This kind of design has got to be extremely difficult, and I, for one, am very impressed.

Original source: PRINT Magazine, The 2013 Regional Design Annual, December 2013, p. 175.

Online source for these particular images and quotes used in the blog: http://www.sterlingbrands.com/design/portfolio.php?pfolio_id=77&pgbacklist=true