The College of American Pathologists (CAP) is a nonprofit association that fosters and advocates best practices in pathology and laboratory medicine. They needed a set of branded emblems to recognize each of their Employee Resource Groups, along with guidelines for their usage.

StudioNorth designed brand emblems that celebrate diversity, belonging and pride at the CAP.

The Challenge

To help the Employee Resource Groups celebrate their diversity, belonging and pride, the emblem designs had to be bold and attention-catching, demonstrating a family resemblance while staying true to the unique character and mission of the individual ERGs. And they had to be versatile and attractive enough to use everywhere.

The Solve

Our design team decided to make the ERG emblems resemble medals, because medals are awarded and worn with pride. The designs are clean, elegant, and timeless, honoring the authenticity and personality of these employee communities and connecting them seamlessly to the CAP brand. They contain powerful, easily identifiable icons with colorful rings to create a unique and elevated look.

• ADVANCE (Disability pride). The emblem incorporates the stripes of the disability pride flag to represent the vast array of disabilities present in human diversity.
• BORN (Black Opportunities Recognized Now). The color palette and fist icon are well-known symbols of Black strength.
• DESI (Driving Equity via South Asian Impact). The rich color palette represents South Asian flags, while the blossoming lotus flower symbolizes purity and strength.
• FORCE (Filipino Organization Reaching Collective Equity). This emblem evokes the Filipino flag, with colors and sunrays that symbolize hope and inspiration.
• LLAVE (Latinx Leaders Achieving Value & Excellence). Centered around a key (“llave” in Spanish), this design is inspired by the vibrant colors and patterns of the Otomi people.
• R + A (Rainbow + Allies). The colors of the pride flag bear a heart in the center, connecting to the popular phrase LOVE IS LOVE.
• WIN (Women’s Interactive Network). The sophisticated gold butterfly is a symbol of grace, hope and positivity with the courage to change.

The guidelines and toolkit gave ERG members extensive examples of approved usages, while setting limitations to protect them and the CAP brand.

The Result

There are no metrics available for this internal initiative. However, the client said, “We love and appreciate the good, thoughtful design … this will help tremendously with our conversations upward!”

The emblems — designed to resemble medals — were an immediate hit at CAP and won a prestigious Graphis Silver Award.