Back Bay Association
A modern civic identity supporting a new era of business leadership in the Back Bay
The Back Bay Association represents the businesses of one of Boston’s most vital districts. As public-realm challenges grow, the Association is advancing a Business Improvement District. We created a modern identity to support this effort and unify the district’s stakeholders.
Client
The Back Bay Association
Industry
Civic / Business Organization / Urban District Branding
Services
Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Visual Language, Website
The Challenge
The Back Bay needed an identity that could speak with authority on behalf of a neighborhood defined by both historic brownstones and contemporary commercial towers.
The previous visual system lacked the clarity and presence required to support advocacy, mobilize stakeholders, and communicate the urgency behind the BID initiative. The challenge was to distill the district’s complexity into a single, adaptable civic brand that could serve businesses, institutions, and residents alike.
The Solution
We developed a geometric B inspired by the Back Bay’s defining forms: its street grid, strong verticals, layered skyline, and tree-lined avenues.
Paired with a palette drawn from the district’s architecture and green spaces—and typography that balances historic and modern character—the identity delivers clarity and presence.
The system’s modular geometry extends into patterns, frames, and environmental graphics, giving the Association a cohesive toolkit for banners, digital communication, and BID-related outreac
The geometric mark and refined typography work together to create a professional, authoritative presence for stakeholder meetings and outreach.
Blues and greens drawn from the district’s tree canopy, Charles River edge, and glass architecture.
Abhaya Libre Bold provides a civic, authoritative tone that complements the geometric identity.
The logo’s components scale and crop to create patterns, framing devices, and expressive graphic elements.
Expanded geometry translates into strong, architectural graphics for signage and wayfinding.
The visual system adapts seamlessly across web and social platforms for consistent communication.
