Symbols of Support: Defining the MyCrossCanada.ca Visual Identity

Our branding process always begins with semantic excavation — understanding what a brand must mean before determining what it should look like. For MyCrossCanada, three core truths emerged: presence (we are here), belonging (this is yours), and navigation (we guide you through).

The cross motif wasn't chosen arbitrarily. In cartography, a cross marks a location, a meeting point, a place of orientation. Combined with a maple leaf abstraction, it became a mark that is instantly Canadian while remainng universally readable as a symbol of coordination.

We rejected the standard non-profit palette of muted blues and soft greens. In a high-stakes context, color must communicate confidence. We chose a deep, trusted navy anchored by a warm, accessible coral — a combination that reads as authoritative without feeling clinical.

Every color in the system was tested against AA accessibility standards at WCAG 2.2 level. This aligns with our Branding & Identity capability (Branding & Identity) principle that aesthetics and inclusivity are not trade-offs.

The primary typeface selection was driven by a single question: does this font feel like it has read the room? We needed a typeface that could carry both a headline about a community event and a paragraph about emergency resources. The answer was a humanist sans-serif with strong legibility at small sizes, paired with a high-contrast serif for editorial headings.

The result is a typographic system that scales from mobile push notifications to large-format event banners without losing its core character.