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Action Utah Rebrand

Action Utah was a nonpartisan advocacy organization that empowered Utah residents to engage in civic advocacy. The organization issued daily action items on weekdays to encourage community participation in local and state issues. While their work spanned four distinct issue areas, these were not clearly communicated in their materials, making it difficult for audiences to fully engage.

Where We Started

The organization faced several challenges:

  • Their existing brand identity and digital presence didn’t reflect their mission of bipartisan civic empowerment.
  • Audiences lacked clarity on how to navigate or engage with the organization’s issue areas.
  • They needed a central hub to house the wealth of resources they had developed for fostering civic engagement.

The Goal

The goal of the rebrand was to position Action Utah as a trusted and approachable resource for civic engagement in Utah. 

Key objectives included:

  • Clarifying the organization’s mission to empower residents across the political spectrum.
  • Creating a cohesive and visually engaging identity to unify their messaging across all platforms.
  • Developing tools and resources to make it easier for audiences to navigate issue areas and take meaningful actions.
  • Strengthening the connection between their daily actions, advocacy efforts, and long-term impact.

How We Got There

Logo Design

I designed a new logo to reflect Action Utah’s mission of bipartisan civic engagement. The central beehive symbol was formed by combining:

  • An arrow on the left: Representing the political left, rendered in the brand’s signature turquoise color.
  • An arrow on the right: Representing the political right, rendered in the brand’s signature coral color.

These two arrows meet in the center, symbolizing unity, where the organization’s name appears in the third signature color. While some might see this color as blue, the we on the Action Utah team affectionately referred to it as purple—a recurring joke within the organization that highlighted the focus on bringing different perspectives together.

A hand with blue-painted nails holds a turquoise, white, and red megaphone against a bright yellow background. The megaphone features the logo and text Action Utah: Your Voice in Action.

Visual Lexicon for Issue Areas

To make Action Utah’s daily actions on Instagram and Facebook instantly recognizable and easy to navigate, I developed a visual lexicon for their four core issue areas. Each issue was represented by a unique combination of color and iconography:

Close-up of a U.S. Census 2020 form with instructions to use a blue or black pen. The image encourages patriotic action by filling out the census. An American flag is partially visible in the background.

Good Government: Turquoise + a capitol dome icon, symbolizing transparency and accountability.

Text promoting Action of the Day for June 16, 2020, urges calling legislators to prioritize housing during coronavirus. An image shows a doormat with Home Sweet Home next to pink shoes and a cardboard box.

Families and Communities: Coral + a people icon, reflecting unity and shared values.

Sunlight filtering through clouds in a blue sky. Text on the side reads Action of the Day with the date May 29, 2020. Bottom text encourages continuing efforts to improve air quality. Action Utah logo is present.

Environmental Stewardship: Green + a leaf icon, emphasizing sustainability and care for natural resources.

The image shows Utah State Capitol with a clear blue sky. The text on a yellow sidebar reads Action of the Day, May 21 2020. Below, it says Take action to safeguard Utahs multi-cultural community.

Public Health: Yellow + a heart with a cross icon, signifying wellness and compassion.

Additionally I created a style for organizational alerts that used our blue/purple color and the logo in place of an icon. In total, this visual system provided followers with immediate context for each action, reinforcing their connection to the broader advocacy goals.

Illustration of a ballot box shaped like the state of Utah. A pink ballot with Vote written on it is being inserted. Text above reads How Elections Work in.
A person wearing a black blazer smiles with their arms crossed against a backdrop featuring part of the American flag. The text reads How to Run for Office at Any Level of Government, with the Action Utah logo at the bottom.
Geometric design with a dark blue background and red and white striped patterns. Text reads: Action Utah, Your Voice in Action, Election Hub with a stylized beehive. White stars line the top and bottom edges.
A red background with white text reading Register to Vote. Below, a circular image shows a hand giving a thumbs-up against a blue background with white polka dots.
Three people smiling at the camera, alongside the Action Utah logo. Text reads: Whats a Delegate? Why do they matter? And how do I become one?.
Illustration featuring an American flag and the text 2020 Presidential Election Guide. Includes Action Utah and a Vote badge.

Website Redesign

The new website became a central repository for civic advocacy resources. Key features included:

  • Daily Action Items: Categorized by issue area, encouraging users to take meaningful steps toward engagement.
  • Resource Library: A robust collection of guides, tools, and educational materials to help Utahns become more civically active.
  • Dynamic Calls-to-Action: Interactive elements designed to guide users toward impactful participation.
  • Streamlined Navigation: Clear pathways to connect users with the information they needed quickly and intuitively.

While the website no longer exists and screenshots are unavailable, its role as a resource hub was pivotal in advancing Action Utah’s mission.

Digital Newsletter Header

Action Utah’s weekly email was a critical tool for consolidating their daily actions and encouraging deeper engagement with a highlighted weekly action. To align with the new brand standards and improve reader engagement, I redesigned the email header to be both eye-catching and on-brand. The updated design:

  • Integrated the visual lexicon: Reinforced the connection between the email and the daily social media actions by incorporating the colors and icons tied to the issue areas.
  • Used bold typography: Ensured the header grabbed readers’ attention at a glance, making it clear what to expect in the newsletter.
  • Maintained brand consistency: Featured the organization’s updated logo and signature colors, creating a cohesive experience across digital platforms.
A woman with short blonde hair and glasses smiles while looking at her phone. Text reads, Action Utah - Your Voice in Action. Action of the Week: Support a Candidate for the Primary Ballot. A small icon of a government building is in the corner.
A persons hand holding a tablet displaying the Action Utah Bridge Builder Awards 2020. Background shows the text Action of the Week and Get your tickets for the Bridge Builder E-Breakfast Series! May 4-8.

Branded Templates for Internal and External Use

To ensure consistency in all outgoing communications, I developed a suite of branded templates for Action Utah’s staff. These templates were designed for use in Google Workspace, making them accessible and easy to use across the team. They empowered the team to maintain brand consistency while saving time, allowing them to focus more on their mission of civic advocacy.

A presentation slide cover image cut in half with a diagonal line, on the left the background is dark blue and has a white Action Utah Logo with a coral underline, on the left is a turquoise background with the words "Advocacy strategies for organizations" in bold white type underlined with a thick dark blue line. Below that is the date, Devember 10, 2019 in white.
A presentation slide with a dark blue triangle in the upper left hand side with the Action Utah logo, The headline says, "Action Utah: Your Voice In Action" in smaller font it says "A nonpartisan community advocacy org empowering Utahns to get civically engaged to impact the issues they care about most." Under that it has bullet points that say "Education, Tools & Resources, Advocacy: Federal - State - Local, and finally there are four boxes at the bottom of the slide, a yellow box says "Public Health," a coral box says, "Families & Communities," A green box says, "Environmental Stewardship," and a turquoise box says "Government."

Presentation Decks: Professional, visually cohesive slides with pre-set layouts and branded color schemes for internal and external presentations.

General Communications: Standardized letterhead and document templates for email communications, reports, and other staff needs.

A letter-sized image with a dark blue triangle in the upper right-hand corner with a white Action Utah Logo and a turquoise underline. The page is mostly blank, but at the bottom, beneath a long solid dark blue line, there is the contact and social media info for the org

Streaming and YouTube Content

As part of the rebrand, I not only developed graphics and visual elements but also directly managed the livestreaming process. Using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software), I set up and operated the livestreams, including camera placement and ensuring smooth transitions during events. These livestreams were broadcast to Facebook, utilizing the branded overlays and visuals I created to ensure a polished and cohesive look.

Three people sit at a table discussing suicide prevention. Two women and a man are engaged in conversation near a U.S. flag and state flag. A banner reads Tour & Talk: Spotlight on Suicide Prevention. Laptops and framed art are visible in the background.
A panel of four people sits on a stage at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, University of Utah. The backdrop is maroon. The event is titled Civil Talk: How to Make an Impact. Bottled water and a thermos sit on the table in front.
Four people sit at a long table with microphones, participating in a panel discussion. A banner above reads, Womens Advocacy Seminar: How to Impact Policy That Impacts Women. Various organizational logos are visible at the bottom.

In addition to livestreaming, I prepared branded elements for YouTube videos. I also used Premiere Pro to design branded overlays that integrated Action Utah’s visual identity into pre-recorded videos, further enhancing the professionalism and consistency of their content.

Image composed of two sections. Top displays several bagels. Bottom left features a man smiling, holding a dessert. Bottom right has a logo and text reading Lunch with Legislators, Utah Senator Jake Anderegg (R).
A man in a suit and a woman in a white blouse and gray skirt walk out of a building smiling. The text Lifts with Legislators appears alongside a logo for Action Utah, identifying them as Utah Representatives Brad Daw and Jennifer Dailey-Provost.
Composite image of a State Capitol tour flyer. Includes a dome interior, a guide pointing inside a chamber, the Capitol building exterior, and text promoting a tour on Wednesday, January 29 at 8 a.m. during the 2020 legislative session.
Image of the Utah Capitol under a colorful sky. Text above: Feb 4, Lobby Day, Tuesday at 1 p.m., 2020 State Legislative Session.

Legislative Advocacy and Influence

Action Utah played an active role in mobilizing Utah residents to engage with their state legislature. The rebrand enhanced their ability to clearly communicate daily actions and issue areas, leading to greater audience participation in legislative advocacy. While it’s challenging to quantify the direct legislative outcomes, the streamlined branding and engagement strategies positioned Action Utah as a key player in fostering civic involvement, which may have contributed to the passage of important policies.

The Outcome

The rebrand resulted in:
  • Increased clarity and accessibility for audiences to engage with Action Utah’s issue areas and daily actions.
  • Higher participation rates in civic advocacy efforts, driven by the wealth of resources available on the new website.
  • Enhanced consistency and professionalism across all digital and offline communications.
  • Expanded Reach Through Streaming and Video: Improved visual consistency and branding in livestreams and YouTube videos helped grow audience engagement, making it easier for followers to connect with and share Action Utah’s work.
This project reinforced the importance of aligning visual identity with organizational mission. I learned how creating clear and consistent branding elements, like the visual lexicon and branded templates, can significantly enhance audience engagement and understanding. Additionally, the process taught me to approach challenges holistically, ensuring every platform—from social media to livestreams to legislative advocacy—works together to create a cohesive narrative and emphasized the importance of creativity and responsiveness in bringing a mission-driven vision to life.
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Copyright © 2025 Melissa Nelson-Stippich

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