After sketching out what seemed like a full sketchbook of ideas, I kept coming back to the initials, I.O.I. The organization is referred to by these initials more than anything else so I felt strongly that the logo needed to communicate this. The result is the flaggy treatment of the initials. By creating the solid ‘I’s, we were able to insinuate the ‘O’ between them by only placing the negative space. What we are left with is a memorable logo mark that isn’t completely dependent on the text to its left. 

The organization’s main location of operations is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Surrounded by a lush and muddy countryside, Addis is full of greens, dark oranges, and various shades of neutral colors. It seemed natural to establish these colors as I.O.I.’s palette. 

I am happy to report that after years of hailing Papyrus as a worthy font choice, I.O.I. has reconsidered its typefaces. Hallelujah. You can visit them on the web at www.ioiusa.org.