Elevate Austin is a nonprofit volleyball league with a mission that extends beyond the court: providing high-quality mentorship to students in the Austin area. As part of our For the City Network incubator program, we provided brand and digital design services to help them communicate more effectively with donors, volunteers, and the families they serve.
The organization needed a fresh identity that could scale with their growing impact—something dynamic enough to work across jerseys and social media, formal enough to build donor confidence, and warm enough to welcome the students and families at the heart of their mission.
Understanding the Audience
Elevate Austin serves a uniquely diverse audience: students who play, parents who support, coaches who mentor, and volunteers who give their time. Each group relates to the organization differently, and the brand needed to resonate across all of them.
We conducted surveys, interviews, and focus groups to understand what mattered to each segment. Students wanted energy and belonging. Parents valued safety and positive influence. Coaches emphasized development and character. Donors needed to see professionalism and impact. These insights shaped every design decision that followed.
A Flexible Design System
The visual identity centers on a strong wordmark using a custom typeface with juxtaposed letterforms—creating tension and energy that reflects the competitive spirit of volleyball while remaining approachable. The color palette balances classic warmth with contemporary energy: confident enough for donor presentations, friendly enough for youth-focused materials.
We built the system to be modular and adaptable. Core elements remain fixed—the wordmark, primary colors, typography hierarchy—while secondary applications allow flexibility for different contexts. A volunteer recruitment flyer can feel different from a donor report while clearly belonging to the same organization.
Cross-Department Alignment
Brand consistency doesn’t happen by accident. I worked closely with Elevate Austin’s marketing, communications, and program teams to ensure the new identity would be consistently applied across all channels—from their digital presence to printed materials, signage, and team uniforms.
This collaboration surfaced practical constraints early. What works on screen doesn’t always translate to embroidery. Colors that pop digitally can fall flat in print. By involving all stakeholders in the process, we avoided the common pitfall of a beautiful brand system that nobody can actually implement.
Implementation and Training
We rolled out the rebrand across all channels: updated website, refreshed social presence, new printed materials, and branded equipment. Beyond delivering assets, we provided training and documentation so the organization’s staff could confidently maintain brand consistency as they grew.
The rebrand has been well-received across all audience segments. Donors see an organization that matches their expectations for professionalism. Families see a welcoming community. And the students see something they’re proud to wear—which, for a sports league, might be the most important measure of success.