MISSION

The Northstar Initiative is a project centered around equitable accessibility to cultural institutions of human expression. With an emphasis on expressive and functional solutions for the betterment of the visually impaired experience.

VISION

Our vision is to increase awareness of the array of perspectives and experiences of visually impaired people, as well as to encourage more holistic & inclusive design thinking.

STORYTELLING

"Northstar" alludes to Polaris, a constant celestial body that has been used throughout time to aid in humanity's exploration of the unknown. Northstar branding takes inspiration from the history of human need. Design has become far more complex, making the solutions to our needs exclusive. Northstar strives to return to the simplicity of our ancestors, to meet the needs of the now, as need does not discriminate like any impairment but crosses all lines and barriers, connecting us to one another since the beginning of human history.

FOCAL POINTS

SUSTAINABLE - Being considerate and responsible does not short change the capabilities of design. Through continued innovation and care, our work can remain sustainable.

ACCESSIBLE - As designers seeking to improve lives, create positive impact, and help people. We must value, implement, and understand what it means to be accessible.

THOUGHTFUL - People matter. It is through continued collaboration with clients and the communites we look to serve that our work remains thoughtful.

These simple hand tools have been a recording of human history, retelling our evolution as problem solvers and critical thinkers. The oldest stone tools are dated to as far back as 2.6 million years, and through continued evolution, still see use today. These objects were crafted all over the world, meeting the needs of early humans, and remaining reliable throughout human history.

The rounded letter forms and addition of accenting circles serve the purpose of expressing individuality. This individuality separates the word mark from any other Northstar text. The roundedness also creates a deeper relationship between text and icons maintaining continuous round forms. Lastly the added circles reference braille in a subtle way, as well as the spherical carvings known as “cups” found in ancient British rock art.

AARON MCINTOSH
DIRECTOR / DESIGNER
It all begins with empathy as I’ve learned as a budding designer. Learning about the struggles and lack of consideration for those with vision impairments and truly impairments of all types, expanded my scope and understanding of the role of a designer. We have the power to change lives for better or worse, and with Northstar I plan to better the lives of all people while also increasing awareness of our peers in life that are not allowed access to experiences in a way that
majority of us are.

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Collaboration in design is crucial, and for Northstar has been at the forefront since the beginning. Through building genuine relationships Northstar has received attention and support from both local and international designers.

In addition to the amazing people above, Northstar has also recieved the support of Tucker Trotter, CEO at Dimensional Innovations, David Dowell, Principal at El Dorado, and Sean Kelley, Head of Art Business Development at Zahner.

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MISSION

The Northstar Initiative is a project centered around equitable accessibility to cultural institutions of human expression. With an emphasis on expressive and functional solutions for the betterment of the visually impaired experience.

VISION

Our vision is to increase awareness of the array of perspectives and experiences of visually impaired people, as well as to encourage more holistic & inclusive design thinking.

STORYTELLING

"Northstar" alludes to Polaris, a constant celestial body that has been used throughout time to aid in humanity's exploration of the unknown. Northstar branding takes inspiration from the history of human need. Design has become far more complex, making the solutions to our needs exclusive. Northstar strives to return to the simplicity of our ancestors, to meet the needs of the now, as need does not discriminate like any impairment but crosses all lines and barriers, connecting us to one another since the beginning of human history.

FOCAL POINTS

SUSTAINABLE - Being considerate and responsible does not short change the capabilities of design. Through continued innovation and care, our work can remain sustainable.

ACCESSIBLE - As designers seeking to improve lives, create positive impact, and help people. We must value, implement, and understand what it means to be accessible.

THOUGHTFUL - People matter. It is through continued collaboration with clients and the communites we look to serve that our work remains thoughtful.

These simple hand tools have been a recording of human history, retelling our evolution as problem solvers and critical thinkers. The oldest stone tools are dated to as far back as 2.6 million years, and through continued evolution, still see use today. These objects were crafted all over the world, meeting the needs of early humans, and remaining reliable throughout human history.

Thought to have been created by the process of “pecking” – which involved gradually chipping away the surface of stone with a chisel – these carvings are found along the Atlantic seaboard of Europe. The image shown displays markings known as “cups” (spherical indentations), and “rings” (shallow carved lines). Showing distinct regional variation, these markings help us in understanding how communities of the past remained connected and communicated with one another.

The rounded letter forms and addition of accenting circles serve the purpose of expressing individuality. This individuality separates the word mark from any other Northstar text. The roundedness also creates a deeper relationship between text and icons maintaining continuous round forms. Lastly the added circles reference braille in a subtle way, as well as the spherical carvings known as “cups” found in ancient British rock art.

Black and white are high contrasting colors which makes them the easiest for those with visual impairment to decipher. This increased level of access to the visual as well as the simplicity and flexibility of these two colors is why they were the choice for Northstar. The addition of a tertiary was found to be necessary as a highlighting element specifically in the case of data visualization. Teal was chosen over other attention grabbing colors like red, due to its harmonious nature. It is attention grabbing while avoiding the perceived aggressiveness of other red. Lastly it is a safe pairing with black and/or white as an accessible color combination.

Designed by Dutch type foundry Typotheque. Zed embodies many aspects of what Northstar aspires to be from a design point of view. It is beautiful, functional, innovative, and has a deep history of research and collaboration to validate its final form.

Every icon within our library pulls reference from our core influences, those being early human making, and natural form. All of our icons pull form from our core mark, the goal being to maintain simplicity and strengthen the association these forms with the brand that is Northstar. Our Icon library is forever expanding as new projects and problems present new opportunities.