Outward Bound:
A symbol of transformation

In 2003, Tony Spaeth met Greg Farrell, President of an education reform initiative called Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, and agreed to help Greg address his identity problems. The name was cumbersome (and "ELOB" didn't help). More importantly its incorporation of the parent name, Outward Bound, was a mixed blessing. The positives (awareness, authority, cultural values) were great, but its wilderness association ("kids in the woods") is misleading. Expeditionary Learning deals with kids in their classrooms. It is in the school reform business, applying to the classroom environment and curriculum what has been learned in the woods about learning and personal growth via "expeditions."  

The "ELOB" issues couldn't be solved  however, without addressing the  parent's own branding problems, including its low-visibility wordmark-in symbol, and the symbol's Victorian personality. Today's Outward Bound needs to be known as the educational force it is becoming in America's urban environments, corporate offices and schoolrooms, not just in the wilderness. The Compass Rose symbol (which will be retained as a seal of authenticity) was a handicap both in its technically weak branding impact, and as a barrier to change.

John Read, the new leader of Outward Bound USA, quickly recognized the opportunities an identity change could offer. As it happens, he was working to transform the organization by consolidating the seven autonomous 'schools' that made up Outward Bound USA into one stronger entity. In early 2005, five of the seven voted to consolidate.  (The New York City and North Carolina units would continue, for the time being, under charters.)

Designer Nat Connacher joined the team. We separated the words Outward Bound from their compass rose symbol, so the words (the strongest brand asset) could be bigger, and so a simplified compass symbol could be used to anchor a more flexible signature system.  "Outward Bound Wilderness" could now identify itself as one of several Outward Bound programs. And "Expeditionary Learning Schools" could free itself of the misleading overbranding, while keeping the visual association and a more proportionate verbal association via "a Division of Outward Bound."

In May 2005, the Outward Bound USA identity would be launched as
"a symbol of Transformation."