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Institute to End Mass Incarceration

How we built an inaugural digital platform for a program dedicated to decarcerating America

Visit endmassincarceration.org

The challenge

The Institute to End Mass Incarceration is a research and advocacy program that works toward the dramatic decarceration of the United States, eradication of the root causes of mass incarceration, and promotion of new approaches to dealing with harm and safety in our communities. With such a significant and pressing mission, it was critical to get the launch of the institute’s brand and digital presence just right.

The Solution

Establish a simple yet meaningful brand and system of visual elements for IEMI, and build their WordPress website from scratch.

In one concept, we were drawn to the rectangle shape of the window in a prison cell and how we could leverage it to bring those incarcerated into focus. We paired this with Right Grotesk, a workhorse of a sans serif, and a desaturated color palette. All these elements together felt serious without being sensational.

Using modular content blocks to boost usability and versatility

We used custom Gutenberg blocks to provide a modular approach to content creation. One of our favorite features is an aside block that allows editors to place related content inline with a post.

Ensuring a consistent brand image for years to come

Using features we built for the website, we created a living brand and site guide to outline logo, color, and type usage, as well as house any brand resources. The huge benefit to this being a site is the team can maintain it easily with WordPress and continue growing it as the IEMI brand evolves. 

The Modern Tribe team worked hard to understand our mission and our values. From that foundation, they developed a visual language that communicates our intensity and seriousness of purpose while also offering a striking, subtle, beautiful website.
Andrew Manuel Crespo Andrew Manuel Crespo Executive Faculty Director, Institute to End Mass Incarceration