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This is an archived version of this page, as edited by TomDotGov (talk | contribs) at 00:44, 15 March 2020 (Derp, still in phase 1.). It may differ significantly from the current version.
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The Wikimedia Movement's strategic direction outlines bold goals for us to achieve by 2030. We have billions of users, contributors, donors, and partners to invite into our free knowledge movement. Our brand can help us reach and engage these audiences, while improving understanding of our movement structure, participants, projects, and affiliates. The position of the branding team is that our branding must support these communications tasks in order for our Movement to succeed.

This project invites members of the Wikimedia Movement to collaborate on an updated Movement identity using "Wikipedia" in place of Wikimedia. This new system will be developed through June 2020, and will be opt-in for Movement affiliates currently using the Wikimedia movement brand. This project builds on nearly a year of brand research, strategic planning, and community consultation. The project, but not the use of "Wikipedia" in the place of Wikimedia, has been approved by the Board of Trustees.

This page provides an overview of the project, a timeline of events, updates, and how to get involved. For commonly asked questions regarding the project, please see the FAQ. Questions and comments are welcome on the talk page. Add this page to your watchlist to keep up with the project as it develops.

Follow updates at brandingwikipedia.org


The project in brief

Over the course of the next few months (January to June 2020) the project seeks to arrive at a new thorough brand system for the movement. This will include a set of design and naming conventions – a style guide for a new brand.

The process is iterative, meaning that we will create, get feedback and refine as we go. There will be many open questions to answer collectively. We expect and welcome divergence before converging on any deliverables.


Objectives

  • Utilize Wikipedia’s massive brand awareness to build a new brand system for the movement using "Wikipedia" as the central reference point.
  • Develop messaging guidance to grow public perception and support to achieve our vision in its true and global sense.


Target audience

  • Wikimedia affiliates and their stakeholders.
  • Internet users, especially those who use Wikimedia projects.
  • Wikimedia movement stakeholders. i.e., donors, partners, and free knowledge enthusiasts.


Milestones

These are rough project milestones and may change.

  • Concept development - happening now (January to March)
  • Naming conventions and central brand concept (March to April)
  • Branding designs for discussion - (April to June)


Project scope

This project has a clear scope: Wikimedia movement branding will be revised through this design process but Wikimedia project marks will not be adjusted. As a result, the primary impact of this project is to Affiliates who use the Wikimedia branding.

  • Some things will stay the same
    Some things will stay the same
  • Some things will change
    Some things will change


The qualities of good Movement branding

The 2030 brand strategy proposal reached more than 9,000 people across 8 languages in 37 countries. We heard from 319 commenters, 63 of whom spoke as representatives of Wikimedia affiliates, offering their feedback across Meta wiki, mailing lists, social media, and at Wikimedia conferences. What we heard from the commenters were a guiding set of concerns and needs for Movement branding to be effective.  

The report presented six criteria voiced by global communities that should guide any decisions around branding.

  • Branding should reduce confusion about the distinction between community and projects, clearly identifying what roles platform and volunteers and affiliates play in the movement.
  • Branding should protect and improve the reputation of the movement, increasing trust in our content and contributors.
  • Branding should benefit the sister projects so that Wikipedia's international popularity and centrality to our movement are used to improve usage and participation in related projects.
  • Branding should mitigate legal and government risks to movement participants and affiliates, so that volunteers are not blamed or punished for Wikipedia content in places hostile to Wikipedia content and our policies of free speech.
  • Branding should grow our Movement by appealing to new users, contributors, donors, and partners around the world, and inviting them to join us in our 2030 direction.
  • Branding should be adopted gradually, allowing community groups to opt-in to the system at their own pace with support from the Foundation.


Process

This is an open brand/design process. We want to work with movement participants to work in a similar method to how our wiki's work - iterative and involved with multiple opportunities to provide input and guidance.

Below is the outline of the process and timeline for this project. It also includes deliverables in the form of a checklist for each phase. There will be informal opportunities to provide feedback throughout, posted on the project talk page, as well as formal opportunities in the form of movement-wide calls for comments, which exist in Phase 2 and Phase 3. Detail will continue to be added as we near each phase in the design process.


Phase 0: Planning (completed)

July - December 2019

Planning the process that is aligned with the set objectives and goals.

Checklist:

  • Summarize findings from brand strategy community consultation [✓]
  • Make project recommendation to Board of Trustees [✓]
  • Invite affiliates and community volunteers to join “brand network” for guiding future brand changes [✓]
  • Select external partner [✓]
  • Develop project process and timeline [✓]
  • Invite brand network and Movement leaders to concepting workshops [✓]


Phase 1: Workshop & Concept Development (in progress)

January - February 2020

Gather insight and align on a concept that will be the Foundation for the work going forward.

The project team will conduct three rounds of workshops with the Brand Network (a group of volunteers interested in guiding the development of a new movement brand centered on Wikipedia) which includes individual contributors, affiliates, Foundation staff, and members of the Affiliations Committee, Communications Committee, and Board of Trustees. The objectives of the workshops are to:

WordTree of "knowledge" from "What does free knowledge mean to you?" exercise submissions. Interactive version.
  • Gather diverse perspectives (reflecting more than 40 nations from around the world)
  • Make the “Movement” come to life
  • Inspire Wikimedia Affiliates to guide and then adopt brand changes

Community involvement: workshops, generating ideas, and feedback on concepts.

Recap of concept workshop with Snøhetta and Wikimedia Foundation in Oslo, January 2020

Checklist:

  • Conduct 3 rounds of workshops with Brand Network

Phase 2: Naming Convention and Brand Concept

March - April 2020

Develop and share a central brand “concept”. Define and refine a naming convention that is based on the concept, predefined objectives and goals.

Community involvement: testing proposals and directing improvements on naming conventions movement-wide.

Checklist:

  • Develop and share central brand “concept”
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation
  • Develop and share first round of naming conventions
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation, Affiliations Committee, and Movement-wide call for comments
  • Refine naming conventions based on collected feedback
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation
  • Share second round of naming conventions for adjustment
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation

Phase 3: Design Development

April - June 2020

Develop a design rooted in the concept, the research, and the Movement’s 2030 needs that works as a tool for community goals.

Community involvement: design reviews and responses, testing for alignment with Movement goals, naming challenges, and local cultural contexts

Checklist:

  • Develop and share first round of brand identity system
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation, Affiliations Committee, and Movement-wide call for comments
  • Refine brand identity system based on collected feedback
    • Participants: Brand Network, Foundation


Phase 4: Style guides

June 2020

Gather the design elements, assets and tools on a digital platform in preparation for everyone in the movement to access and use.

Community involvement: ideation, expansion, and adaptation for local contexts

Checklist:

  • Snøhetta presents an integrated reference point that can be adapted to local contexts.
2030 movement brand project timeline


Phase 5: Adopt and advance brand (pending approval from the Board of Trustees and executive leadership)

July 2020 - December 2020

Organizational implementation with opt-in system for affiliates.


Roles and Responsibilities

Wikimedia Movement

  1. Brand network - Guides brand concepting and design process in collaboration with Snøhetta (the project design partner) and Foundation staff
  2. Volunteer communities across the movement (cross projects, community lists, and village pumps) - Comments on proposed naming, design, and brand elements to highlight concerns, needs, and suggested improvements.

Wikimedia Foundation

  1. Steering Committee - Informs brand development based on deep understandings of organization Fundraising, Legal/Policy, Technology, Product, Finance, and Administration specialties
  2. Brand Studio (team within Communications) - Leads project coordination, collaboration, strategic development, and design across Movement, Foundation, and Snøhetta members
  3. Executive Leadership - Vets and reviews Movement brand changes

Snøhetta (project design partner)

Snøhetta is the design firm who created the new Library of Alexandria, home to Wikimania 2008. They have made exhibitions for history museums, visual identities for national parks, and bank note designs inspired by wind, water, and computer pixels. They have created grand operas designed to make elite art accessible to the public, and homey cabins in public parks that offer spectacular getaways for anyone in the world to use. At the mountain where they take their name, they built a pavilion for rest and conservation that is keyless- so any and all visitors can be at home. They have offices in 5 countries, with work spanning the globe. Their team is multilingual, and women-led.

Their role in the 2030 movement brand project is to facilitate collaborative design process by running workshops, collecting perspectives, distilling recommendations, and sharing proposals for feedback. They will also lead the design work – crafting potential naming solutions, logo options, and other graphic design elements for Movement review.


How to get involved

Want to guide concepting and design?

Want to comment on proposed brand changes?

  • Respond to mailing list and open questions posted on-wiki during project, or directly to feedback requests on brandingwikipedia.org (all open questions will be cross-posted to the project talk page).
  • Time commitment: 1 hour every ~2 months

Want to follow the project updates?

Still have questions? Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) or leave a comment on the project talk page.


See also

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