First Bytes

First Bytes

First Bytes is a week long, immersive, summer camp for high school girls that takes place at UT Austin and focuses on Computer Science. The camp is designed to dispel myths about computer science and to intrigue young women with the potential of computing and the excitement of problem solving.

Currently, First Bytes is nested under the University of Texas's Computer Science program, and has no identity of its own. Compounding on the little to no brand feel, the camp also lacks any online presence. Thus, it fails to reach as many potential campers as it could, which limits its mission of inspiring young girls into the tech field.

The vision of the rebrand was to give the camp a personality of its own, and avoid being solely reliant on its parent organization.

The new First Bytes is a determined, bold, and trendy brand that challenges and inspires young girls to step up to the plate and realize their potential.

In C++, the primary coding language used in the camp, two forward slashes (//) indicate a single line comment—a note from the coder within the script. Utilizing the syntax of coding in a playful manner for the logo is a simple way to incorporate some allusion to the tech nature of the camp without resorting to cliché imagery associated with computers.

A secondary letter mark exists as an alternative to the main logo. This other mark is to be used when either the horizontal main logo would not fit, or a repetition of the of the double forward slash would become overused.

The colors are reminiscent of the RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) display of computers and LED monitors. Furthermore, the colors allude to a camp activity called Project Illuminate where the campers program a small light show using RGB color codes. The choice of a pinker shade of red is used as an accent color to add touch of femininity to the overall brand.

Proxima Nova Bold is used for headlines while Proxima Nova Regular is used for body text. The font family was chosen for its geometric quality that gives a sense of mathematical precision as well as a striking graphic quality.

Flipping the historically derogatory "You X like a girl!" on its head, First Bytes instead reclaims phrase to be an empowering statement of girl power.

The website will likely be the first experience anyone, be that a potential camper, parent, or teacher, will have with the brand and the camp. The website is a place to not only find out more about the camp, but also realize the need for a space to foster young women's interest in Computer Science. First Bytes has an important mission, and seeing that paired with the faces of the girls it impacts becomes a powerful message.

To some, the idea of trying something like coding is new and can be daunting. Coding, with all it's rules, numbers, and syntax can seem so serious and intimidating.

Promotional posters, which can either be shared through social channels or physically displayed in schools or other common areas, help give a face to the camp. Seeing previous campers and what they took from the experience demystifies the concept, feels more relatable, and in a way says "this could be you".

Part of what makes First Bytes so special and memorable is that campers get to feel like they are part of something bigger. Camp materials are something tangible for the girls, something that become their own, and something that they can hold on to and display with pride.

Having a booklet is a useful resource for campers whose schedule will be packed full with exciting and enriching experiences. Be it a list of all the relevant speakers, instructions for programming an Arduino board, a quick glance at the busy itinerary, or just a place to take notes, the camp booklet is an easy on-hand place for everything.