Institute for Sustainable Communities – AEBD Brand Identity

The ISC is a global non-profit organization committed to developing equitable climate change solutions worldwide. By fostering collaborative, community-centered partnerships, the organization addresses the disproportionate impacts of climate change on communities.

The places where people live, play, and work are essential parts of life and impact everything from health and safety to the ability to meet basic human needs. ISC partnered with CBRE, the world’s largest commercial real estate services and investment firm, to tackle equitable decarbonization in communities of color. Decarbonizing buildings involves reducing the environmental impact of structures by minimizing greenhouse gas emissions associated with their construction, usage, and disposal.

To achieve this, ISC and CBRE created the Advancing Equitable Decarbonization in Buildings Owned by People of Color (AEBD) initiative. This project includes developing decarbonization and energy efficiency roadmaps, creating energy use benchmarking, and building a database for Black- and brown-owned buildings.

The Challenge

ISC needed a new logo and branding for the AEBD project. The goal was to create a visual identity that clearly communicated their involvement in the sustainable building industry. ISC selected Black Digital due to its reputation for creating compelling graphic designs and its strong record of working with a diverse clientele.

Our Solution

The design team at Black Digital conceptualized the AEBD project logo, drawing inspiration from an “L beam” structure commonly found in construction framing. This motif not only symbolizes ISC’s resilience but also reflects AEBD’s commitment to the sustainable building industry. The color scheme features natural earth tones, focusing on green, conveying themes of sustainability and recycling.

The Results

Black Digital’s designs successfully clarified the mission of both the ISC and the AEBD initiative. Black Digital also crafted the AEBD logo and branding guidelines consistent with ISC’s broader branding strategy for continuity across campaigns. Because of Black Digital’s partnership with ISC, the nonprofit has reached larger audiences with a more straightforward message of creating a future with safe and affordable buildings that do not contribute further to climate change.