Inclusive City Mosaic

Inclusive City Mosaic
—created for Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF)

CHALLENGE:
As CICF prepared to unveil its 5-year strategic plan in 2019, executive leadership had the idea to center the launch around the concept of an “Inclusive City”—a wordplay on “inclusivity.” However, they needed a compelling visual identity for the event that could convey the scope of CICF’s impact across many different communities, and do so without defaulting to clichés or abstract corporate imagery. At the time, this visual was only intended for the event, with no long-term branding strategy attached.

SOLUTION:
I conceptualized and designed the “Inclusive City Mosaic,” a bold visual collage composed of authentic portraits of community members, grantees, and partners—layered with colored overlays of CICF’s brand palette. I selected photographs to reflect the geographic and demographic diversity of the communities CICF serves and captured the emotion of hope and abundance. The goal of the photo selection was to be specific enough for some individuals and places to feel recognizable and celebrated, while ensuring the overall image remained broad and symbolic—representing CICF’s collective impact, not individual stories or specific locations or partners.

Originally featured as the cover of the event booklet distributed at the 2019 launch at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the mosaic quickly evolved into the enduring visual identity of the entire strategic plan. It became a powerful storytelling tool and was used across CICF’s ongoing communications, reinforcing its role in building a more equitable and inclusive Central Indiana.