DbD partnered with New Jersey State Parks (NJSP) to lead a comprehensive rebranding initiative, uniting over 100 diverse locations under a new identity that celebrates the state’s natural beauty and rich history.
The Challenge
Our team faced the challenge of creating a memorable and versatile brand that could honor the system’s familiar yellow-and-green shield while flipping the script on entrenched perceptions of the nation’s most densely populated state to instead feature New Jersey as “wild” and unexpectedly pristine. With a vast and varied system spanning parks, forests, and historic sites, NJSP needed a cohesive brand that could elevate public awareness, unify messaging, and inspire both residents and visitors.
Discovery, Analysis & Community Engagement
Through immersive site visits, stakeholder interviews, and statewide surveys, DbD discovered the shocking diversity and dedicated generational stewardship that define New Jersey’s parks. This hands-on approach revealed both the logistical realities of implementation and the deep community pride that helped shape the brand’s direction.
Visual
Identity
We worked closely with NJSP to refine logo concepts, balancing the desire for a fresh start with the equity of existing symbols, and ultimately crafted a family of brands – each park distinct yet unified by shared fonts, colors, and patterns.
The new visual identity for NJSP brings together wildlife, trees, mountains, and waves into a network of unified marks that symbolize the breadth of New Jersey’s landscapes and the diversity of experiences found within its parks.
Individual
Park Brands
State Historic
Sites Brand
America 250 Brand
DbD also developed eleven park-specific logos, as well as logos for NJ State Historic Sites and for NJSP celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.
Signage
Our signage solutions were designed to be practical and buildable, respecting site-specific constraints and available resources, while ensuring the brand translated seamlessly from digital to physical environments. The result: a cohesive, flexible system that empowered NJSP to launch its new brand with clarity and impact, from gateway signs to trail markers and water bottles to t-shirts, and positions the parks as a key part of the state’s and nation’s heritage.
