We recently connected with Joseph Prichard and have shared our conversation below.

Joseph, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’m the Creative Director and a founding partner at Kilter, a branding & design studio focused on amplifying and elevating the work of nonprofits and socially responsible businesses. One of the joys of working with cause-based clients is seeing the tangible impact of our work on the communities in which we live. That can mean anything from helping to elect progressive candidates like Katie Porter to congress, to promoting lifestyle shifts in healthy eating by partnering with plant-based food entrepreneurs.

For me, the most compelling projects we tackle are the ones that address issues that are particularly urgent or intractable. Last year we were fortunate to take on just such an issue when we partnered with The Election Official Legal Defense Network (EOLDN) to rebrand their organization. Since 2020, the simple idea that elections should be run on a professional, nonpartisan basis has increasingly come under attack in America. Many election officials have become targets of ire and intimidation and newly-passed laws seek to punish them for just doing their jobs. EOLDN aims to combat these malicious trends by connecting officials in need with pro bono legal and communication help.

In redesigning EOLDN’s brand, our goal was to craft an instantly recognizable and understandable visual identity that could serve as a bold rallying point for their diverse coalition of stakeholders. Given the sharp partisan divides of our current political landscape, the brand also needed to feel as neutral and nonpartisan as possible. Our aim was to create a brand voice that felt established and trusted not mired in the partisan fracas.

Our solution took visual cues from patriotic touchstones like WPA posters and federal government insignia to craft an iconic logo that serves as a visual embodiment of the
gravitas of EOLDN’s mission and the big tent coalition of supporters who make their work possible. The logo became the cornerstone of an expansive visual identity system that included as its centerpiece a redesigned website which serves as a streamlined and intuitive platform for communicating to the public and connecting with volunteers and election officials in need.

Being able to leverage the sometimes ephemeral tools of branding and design to support the communication efforts of indispensable organizations like EOLDN is the most meaningful part of the work we do. If our efforts can help push our clients’ missions forward in any way then we have done our job.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Founded in 2017, Kilter is on a mission to empower the advocates, entrepreneurs, and instigators who are shaping our future. Our cross-sector team of experts crafts brands, websites, and campaigns that arm our clients with the tools they need to stand out in a noisy world. Our process seamlessly combines strategy, design, and messaging to create work that is ​​beautiful, smart, and purposefully focused across every touch point. Working with a diverse range of clients that includes schools, socially responsible businesses and nonprofits of all sizes we create work that delights and engages audiences while yielding meaningful, measurable results.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Prior to co-founding Kilter in 2017, I worked in a variety of roles ranging from running an in-house design studio to serving as an associate creative director for a boutique branding agency. The through-line that connects my professional path has always been my interest in working with organizations committed to doing good in the world. For the past 15 years, I’ve created work for cause-based brands, nonprofits, universities, and museums, among other clients.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

One of the most common pieces of feedback we hear from clients is how invaluable they find our ability to understand and embrace the unique specifics of their organization. It’s our belief that successful visual communication is never developed in a vacuum. Before we begin any creative assignment we take great pains to immerse ourselves in the culture and context of our client’s organization and sector in order to understand the unique challenges and opportunities they face. That kind of deep knowledge of our clients isn’t something that can be faked and we like to think it shows through in our results and our long list of satisfied customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kilter.la/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kilterla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kilterla
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kilterla
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KilterLA
• Other: https://typo.social/@kilterla

Image Credits
Studio pictures by Ben Gibbs. All other images courtesy of Kilter.