From The Blog

KICA Introduces a New Visual Identity

The community association is refreshing the visual identity of the organization to more accurately reflect the look and feel of our Kiawah community. Our visual communications ultimately reflect on perceptions of the island as a whole, and therefore your property’s value, so we are doing our part to uphold the Kiawah brand. In the coming months you’ll see us roll out the new designs, with intentional improvements to functionality, in emails, a new website and an adaptation of our Digest newsletter. 

LOGO

For three decades, the association’s visual identity remained unchanged. In 2019, KICA underwent a brand audit to reflect on how accurately our identity represented the organization today, how our identity relates with other Kiawah entities and how well KICA is supporting the overall brand of Kiawah Island.

Like KICA, all of the Kiawah organizations have grown and evolved over the last several decades. There are many Kiawah Island entities, and many of these entities utilize the signature Kiawah Island script font within their logo and the logos of their sub-brands (like events and groups). Within this sea of Kiawah Island script logos, we found that KICA lacks distinction. Many community members struggle with understanding the different roles of the various entities, and we determined that a departure from the signature Kiawah Island script logo could assist in clarifying the association’s role. The signature Kiawah Island script logo is strongly associated with the island’s brand identity, so although KICA will depart from the script font, KICA will continue to reference the Kiawah Island logo as our parent brand. The Kiawah script logo represents all of Kiawah, and KICA is a member of the Kiawah Island brand family. 

KICA’s new logo features a shorebird graphic mark. The shorebird was chosen to draw community members home to Kiawah’s natural landscape and the island’s most prominent identifier, the beach. Shorebirds are part of what makes Kiawah special and they travel with their flock, or their community. This shorebird most closely resembles an oyster catcher, but may also remind you of a sandpiper or willet, birds commonly seen on Kiawah.

KICA’s logotype most prominently features the word “community,” in a welcoming custom typeface. The association exists to serve the community, so the hierarchy of words was intentional. The font of “community” reflects the fluid movement of the original Kiawah Island script, to maintain a visual reference to our parent brand.

COLORS

Colors convey feelings and associations, so KICA created an inviting palette to remind your of your Kiawah home. Deep Flora and Dewy Fairway are KICA’s most prominent colors. The dark green of Deep Flora cites Kiawah’s dense lush vegetation and the sea green sage of Dewy Fairway mirrors the color of a dew-covered golf course and also the Atlantic at sunset. Dawn Sky, Boardwalk, Brilliant Cloud and Golden Spartina are KICA’s secondary accent colors. Kiawah’s clear blue skies, represented by Dawn Sky, will provide balance to the earthy greens. The sandy grey of boardwalk and bright white of Brilliant Cloud will provide a neutral base for the palette’s colors to mingle. Finally, Golden Spartina reflects the rich orange of winter marsh grass and you’ll see this color being used in design to draw attention.

PHOTOGRAPHY APPROACH

Within a single photograph, an entire story can be told without a word. Photographs are strong communicators, so KICA has adopted a mindful approach to photography to ensure the organization is representing our community and island accurately. You’ll see beautiful landscapes to remind you of your incredible home and we’ll be sure to capture and share the wonderful moments of community gatherings and island enjoyment.

It is imperative that KICA communicates to our members accurately through the visual elements we share and that we do our part to thoughtfully uphold and enhance the Kiawah brand as a whole. Over the next several months, you’ll begin to see KICA’s updated, strengthened and expanded visual identity introduced throughout the organization and within all of KICA’s communications.