Brand Identity
king county parks
For nearly two decades, I helped protect, refine, and evolve the Parks brand. Over time, multiple rebrands, including a countywide logo redesign, left the brand fragmented, inconsistent, and hard for staff to maintain.
When the most recent consultant-led rebrand leaned heavily on trends, I recognized the inefficiencies it introduced, especially for signage and system-wide use. I raised those concerns with leadership and worked to build support for a brand cleanup focused on clarity, usability, and long-term value.
client overview
King County Parks manages over 200 parks, 32,000 acres, and hundreds of miles of regional and backcountry trails.
deliverables
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Logo and brand identity development
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Brand standards and style guide
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Implementation planning, rollout, and quality control
Timeline
Nearly 20 years
tools
Illustrator, Photoshop, Fresco, InDesign
Goals and challenges
My goal was to create a clean, evergreen logo that felt modern but mature, and appropriate for a 50-plus-year-old agency, while continuing to steward and evolve the brand over time.
Aware of staff fatigue from frequent rebrands, I approached the work carefully. It was important to respect the brand’s evolution by retaining recognizable and successful elements, while delivering a clear improvement that staff could stand behind, the public could easily recognize, and that would translate across uniforms, signage, and marketing materials.
I had many favorite projects during my tenure, but one stands out, along with the aesthetic behind it. It began with designing trail map covers meant to catch the eye on crowded racks while staying true to each location. The positive response led me to extend the same visual language to interpretive signage, reinforcing the Parks brand. By using bold design and location-specific imagery, the signage created a cohesive, engaging experience that felt unmistakably connected to the overall identity.
