Youth Represent

Brand + Creative
Written By Kristine Neil

Since 2008, Youth Represent has zealously advocated on behalf of young people in New York City who have had experience with the criminal legal system, which disproportionately harms Black, Latiné, and other youth of color. Through a mix of strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and legal services, Youth Represent centers young New Yorkers’ voices and ensures they are the ones guiding the direction of the work. In 2023, Youth Represent was ready to share its new strategic plan. But before it was publicly released, the plan needed a cohesive, bold design to communicate the organization’s brand.

Though Youth Represent had a logo, the existing brand elements were minimal. Mission Partners used Youth Represent’s logo to inspire the design of the strategic plan. Using graphic motifs and photography, the design drew attention to the youth at the heart of the work. A city vibe also served as design inspiration, leading Mission Partners to add graphic textures and layers to communicate the energy and grit of New York City. Since the strategic plan would be utilized in conversations with donors, the board, and community members, Mission Partners developed accompanying graphics to help Youth Represent develop materials to tell the visual story of Youth Represent. Mission Partners created backgrounds that could be used for presentation decks or one-pagers, as well as social media graphic backgrounds and youth portraits.  

The strategic plan’s design and graphics went on to win a Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) award in the digital design category. The design also proved to be instrumental in communicating with key decision-makers, as Youth Represent used the graphics for their annual board presentation.

Kristine Neil

Fractional Web Partner

I'm Kristine Neil - a communications strategist who has spent 20+ years designing websites, first running a full-scale design and marketing agency, and now leading my own studio. I've been the creative director managing the work, the coder quietly fixing what others couldn't, and the strategist in the room asking why before how. Somewhere between the MBA and the other degrees, I decided web design was just one tool in a much bigger toolbox - the real work is figuring out what you're trying to say, who needs to hear it, and what's getting in the way. A website is just where all of that comes to life.

I mostly build on Squarespace, and after years deep in the platform I know how far it can go and when to push past its limits. These days, I'm especially drawn to working as a fractional partner - getting to know an organization over time and helping with whatever moves them forward, whether that's a full redesign, an ongoing hand with content and strategy, or just being the person who knows their site best. I write here about AI, UX, eCommerce, web strategy, and making the complex feel a little more human.

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