Friendship Forest Project / Branding & Collateral
Friendship Forest.
Ever wish you could befriend a tree? Well, through the marvels of nature, community and technology, now you can! When someone plants a tree at one of the Friendship Forest planting events, they're not just helping to create a future forest, they're beginning a beautiful friendship. Friendship foresters and their new leafy friends can maintain a dialogue in the years ahead as the tree grows and develops via social media and email. Trees will send updates about how they're doing, and their human friend, in turn, can send it well-wishes and notes, and share pics. Scientists also study the data gathered to learn how to improve urban forests. This Is Folly helped bring the project to life through the design of the Friendship Forest logo, website, t-shirts and tree tags which identify each tree and their human friends.
Work & Credits
Our Work: Visual brand identity, website & print collateral
Project Artists: Amanda Lovelee & Julie Benda
Cut Paper Illustrations: Julie Benda
Making Friends.
The whimsical logo, website and collateral pieces are designed to be casual and approachable. We went with a decidedly low-tech, DIY feel to help make the high-tech approach more family-friendly and unintimidating. The logo, with the cut-paper tree illustrations by artist Julie Benda, suggests an exchange or a dialogue. The layered cut and torn paper, vintage engravings, hand-done type and warm, earthy palette all contribute to an optimistic, natural, inviting feel, suggesting the organic way relationships, experiences—and forests—happen and grow.
Together We’ll Make A Forest.
The website allows the project team to sign up volunteers, take donations, promote events, and shareupdates and photos of forest plantings. There are separate pages for each new forest that describes each urban forest, details the types of trees, the types of science experiments happening, and includesan interactive map where each tree can be located.
The Beginning Of A Beautiful Friendship.
Each Friendship Forest begins with a party. Planting parties involve parades, live bands, food and other fun, making the experience a great outing and educational experience for children and whole families. The first Friendship Forest planting in Saint Paul, Minnesota included fun pennant flags and a parade, tree skirts, and even tree cookies. Foresters give their tree a name which is then recorded, along with an I.D. number, on a special tag. Families can return to visit their tree at any time. Hugging and nurturing the tree bestie is encouraged.
Tree skirt by the Friendship Forest Artist Team
"This Is Folly helped make the idea of the Friendship Forest grow into a reality both in the ground and on the web."
—Amanda Lovelee, Friendship Forest Project
