A Brand Refresh

As we decided to relaunch Game Genius in late 2020, it presented us with an excellent opportunity to redesign our brand to better reflect the work we do for the community. Many liked the original logo for its abstract and non-conformist style, but they also agreed that it didn't offer much about Game Genius as an entity.

So we started playing around with design concepts. Our goal was two-fold: (1) we wanted a logo that had flexible use. The original logo was built in a paint program with minimal ability to adapt for different backgrounds and layouts. We constructed the new logo in Adobe Illustrator with the ability to quickly shift to any color scheme, while also considering applications for both a rectangular and square profile. (2) We wanted Game Genius to come across as a non-digital, play-based organization. Our old logo evolved from our founder's previous career as a professional golfer. To him, it depicted a golf ball on a tee and a person celebrating. The new logo blends tabletop game pieces that represent the three branches of Game Genius:

Pawn: Game Genius believes that play can empower people to make big impact, much like the journey of a pawn in chess. Every pawn represents a potential queen, so we offer play-based services to help changemakers get started and identify paths to success.

Scrabble Tile: Game Genius understands that words and stories matter. We see our public experiences and annual impact theme as a way for us to educate ourselves and others about important issues. We also recognize our work fits in a larger effort to drive meaningful change. The G is worth 2 points in Scrabble, and represents the start of something bigger, both literally (opening letters of Game and Genius) and figuratively (a catalyst for more impact).

6-Sided Die: Game Genius embraces uncertainty, discomfort, and failure. Taking risks and trying new things keep us curious and humble -- a great mindset for growth and innovation. Our independent game developments offer safe space to explore and entertain the open market. And when we find an effective game mechanic or approach, our direct services and public experiences benefit. It's this holistic 3-branch (empowering services, educational events, entertaining inventions) structure that makes Game Genius a smarter bet.

Game Genius: Then & Now

In 2017, Game Genius started as a personal exploration project. The thesis was that games and play could catalyze social action and community collaboration. Without a particular audience, we openly engaged with the Greater Washington DC region for 3 years to identify the sharpest painpoints and needs. From supporting local organizations through public events to facilitating game-learning workshops, Game Genius built relationships across the district and promoted the importance of play.

As Game Genius evolved, we tried to balance our work with the corporate sector, but our approach didn't resonate as well with business leaders and HR professionals. It was a great learning experience, and our efforts led to a spin-off company (Barometer XP) with some local organizational consultants. By 2019, Game Genius acknowledged that it could make the biggest difference in the social sector.

Then COVID-19 hit, and our purpose became crystal clear. We already knew local nonprofits were swimming against a pretty strong current -- teams often overworked and underpaid for critical services. To make matters worse, securing grants in this philanthropic ecosystem is a time-consuming challenge. The DMV area has a very high concentration of nonprofits competing for financial support, and organizations instinctively protect their funder relationships because they cannot afford to lose them. Unfortunately, this continues to create barriers for open collaboration and resource sharing, despite being groups that are working to solve the same issues. Game Genius saw an opportunity to help nonprofits find ways to play and grow together.

For much of 2020, we focused on building trust (virtually) in the community by serving nonprofits as extra capacity to complete creative projects. Organizations simply didn't have the time or energy to think beyond the survival minimum. As a result, Game Genius saw a spike in awareness and interest. Our direct service projects ranged from short brainstorms and gamification consults to weeks (or months) of program planning. We even saw an increase of participation in our own public game events. The District Hunt, an annual puzzle adventure around DC, took shape around being a case study for nonprofits to learn from.

As 2020 came to a close, our team had a strategic planning meeting about relaunching Game Genius as a nonprofit. With a better understanding of the region and desire to lead by example, we submitted our paperwork in March to start the next chapter of this playful adventure.