Career Technical Education Foundation
The Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation is dedicated to bridging the gap between education and industry. By fostering partnerships and investing in innovative programs, the CTE Foundation prepares students for meaningful careers while strengthening local economies.
The Career Technical Education (CTE) Foundation is dedicated to bridging the gap between education and industry. Through strategic partnerships, innovative programs, and sustained investment in student success, the foundation prepares young people for meaningful careers in fields ranging from agriculture and health sciences to advanced manufacturing and beyond. Their work strengthens local economies while expanding opportunity for the next generation of workers.
Platforms
Brand Systems
Deliverables
Visual Identity, Logo Design, Brand Guidelines, Anniversary Mark Design
The challenge
The CTE Foundation approached us with a specific branding need: create a modern, meaningful logomark that introduced a softer, more human element to their visual identity. The complication was that their existing formal wordmark was non-negotiable and had to remain intact. The new symbol not only needed to complement the established typography, but it also had to represent student growth and uplift across many industries—without leaning toward any single field or relying on overused vocational imagery like gears, tools, or industrial icons.
The Solution
We designed a new logomark that captured the idea of students being elevated, supported, and empowered across a wide spectrum of career pathways. The mark’s form conveys growth and movement without referencing any specific industry, allowing it to remain inclusive of the foundation’s diverse programs. Throughout the process, we incorporated client feedback to refine the geometry, polish the balance between shapes, and update the typography so “career,” “technical,” and “education” carried equal visual weight.
The final brand package included over a hundred organized assets in multiple formats, along with a usage guide to ensure consistent implementation across print and digital channels. The success of the collaboration was reaffirmed when the CTE Foundation returned to commission a dedicated 10-Year Anniversary Mark, which became a centerpiece in their milestone communications.
LINK Creative helped us bring forward a visual identity that finally feels like us. The new logomark is thoughtful, inclusive, and forward-looking, and the rollout materials made adoption across our organization seamless.
