Back Bay Association
A bold, flexible identity for Boston’s landmark business district
The Back Bay Association represents one of Boston’s most recognizable districts—home to historic brownstones, glass towers, luxury retail, and emblematic streets like Newbury and Boylston. We developed a bold, adaptable identity system that captures the diversity, momentum, and civic presence of the district.
Client
The Back Bay Association
Industry
Civic & Urban Development
Services
Brand Strategy, Brand Identity, Visual System, Website
THE CHALLENGE
The Association needed a brand strong enough to unify Back Bay’s many identities—historic, corporate, commercial, residential, and cultural. The identity had to be flexible across street-level banners, digital outreach, merchandise, events, and large-scale advocacy, all while reflecting the district’s modern energy.
THE SOLUTION
We designed a geometric “B” that visually reflects the district itself—its vertical skyline forms, intersecting streets, and connected green spaces.
The icon’s layered arcs and shapes allow the logo to scale, shift, and crop dynamically across applications without losing recognition.
A versatile visual system supports signage, digital campaigns, merchandise, and city-facing materials.
The geometric forms can be recomposed to create supporting patterns, frames, and backgrounds, giving the Association a toolkit that remains cohesive yet expressive.
The color palette—cool blues and greens—draws from Back Bay’s defining features: glass towers, tree-lined promenades, and the Charles River.
The palette reinforces a sense of civic clarity and forward momentum.
Abhaya Libre Bold serves as the typographic anchor, balancing historical sophistication with a strong civic presence. It pairs cleanly with the geometric identity and scales effectively from small digital formats to street banners.
Together, these elements create a modern civic identity that authentically represents the Back Bay’s character—historic, evolving, and unmistakably Boston.
The identity mirrors the district from above: a “B” formed by streets, parks, and towers. Double Bs and colored arcs reflect Back Bay’s layered mix—local, corporate, vibrant.
Blues and greens evoke the district’s glass architecture, parks, and the Charles River.
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.
From banners to merchandise, the system adapts fluidly while maintaining a strong district presence.
