For the People Project
Branding, Campaign, Publication Design
US Constitution Redesign
For the People Project began as the a creative response to the divisive and disheartening 2016 US presidential election. We saw an opportunity to use design and branding to generate constructive debate by presenting the Constitution—a document many people reference, but surprisingly few have read in its entirety—in a fresh way. Our goal: a pay-it-forward system to get a copy of this seminal document into the hands of as many of the nation’s students as possible.
Work done while at ThoughtMatter
Using the document’s opening words, “We the People,” as a foundation, we positioned the Constitution as the document made by and for the American people, to define and protect our rights and to connect us as citizens.
Our branding and visual system first came to life in a redesigned copy of the Constitution that made the document more visually engaging and digestible than the available standard editions. Because we wanted to preserve and present the original transcript without any editorial commentary, we used design as a tool to invite people to interpret the Constitution from a contemporary perspective. Our version of the 230-year-old document puts a modern twist on the classic Americana color palette of red, white, and blue by using Pop-Tone Pink Lemonade paper from French Paper Co. and Federal Blue ink.
In planning our social media campaign to generate awareness of and excitement for the For the People Project, we created highly shareable posts that encouraged people to focus on the Constitution’s general importance, regardless of their political leanings. A video hosted by comedian Scott Rogowsky helped illustrate the disconnect between many citizens and the Constitution.
This project continues to be one of our most important endeavors year after year. Given what Americans have experienced in the last few months, these conversations couldn’t be more crucial. Now more than ever, we must all understand and be willing to challenge the organizing principles upon which society functions.
In 2021, we embarked on a 10-part docuseries where we interview creatives from different backgrounds who use their craft to reinterpret the Constitution for a new era.
