Gulf Shores Schools // Brand Identity

Baldwin County is the largest, fastest growing, county in the state of Alabama, and the thinly-spread county school system wasn’t giving enough attention to the City of Gulf Shores. The community felt they had no control over their own schools. Gulf Shores took the bold step of establishing its own school system, the first independent system in Baldwin County, in order to “raise the bar for education” in its community. 

We began our process with research and stakeholder interviews. Our team held in-depth conversations with city leaders, school administrators, teachers, alumni and parents. From these discussions, patterns of thought emerged—preparation, lifelong learning, whole child wellness, determination—and the brand strategy became clear. 

By declaring its independence, Gulf Shores City Schools chose to be guided by the values it holds highest: self-reliance, the audacity to dare great things and a commitment to learning for life. The very act of dropping out of the Baldwin County system and establishing its own city system demonstrates the character traits GSCS wishes to instill in its students. 

Our team designed and developed a multifaceted brand system—everything from logos and custom typography to illustration and colors—that covers the school system itself, the system foundation, individual schools (elementary, middle and high school), athletics and mascot, extracurricular clubs, merchandise, and environmental graphics for campus. .