Educating for American Democracy

Project Overview:

The Educating for American Democracy (EAD) initiative is a national, nonpartisan movement to reimagine civics and history education for the 21st century. Led by iCivics and a coalition of academic institutions, EAD provides strategic guidance to educators, school districts, and policymakers to ensure that every student—regardless of background—has access to high-quality civic learning that supports a healthy constitutional democracy.

What began as a request for a simple wordmark refresh quickly evolved into a comprehensive design collaboration. Kona & Birch partnered with the EAD launch team to develop a bold, accessible visual language that could meet the complexity and gravity of the initiative's goals.

Design Approach:

We introduced a visual identity system that balanced academic credibility with visual clarity—anchored in a refreshed wordmark and an expanded palette of graphic tools. Custom iconography was designed to represent EAD’s seven key themes, each icon reinforcing key curricular pillars like civic participation, institutional transformation, and global perspective.

To support the national launch, we developed a wide range of design assets, including infographics, instructional diagrams, and layout design for the Roadmap to Educating for American Democracy booklet—a foundational resource distributed to educators nationwide. Every visual choice was made to maximize usability, equity, and engagement across varied age groups and learning environments.

Outcome:

The resulting design system brought coherence and visibility to a multi-stakeholder initiative of national scope. By transforming abstract civic ideals into tangible, beautifully designed tools, our work helped educators and students alike engage more meaningfully with democracy—and with one another.