Covered California is the state-run health insurance marketplace established under the federal Affordable Care Act. Its visual identity was developed alongside the organization’s naming in 2012, before the exchange launched to the public in October 2013.
Design and History
The California Health Benefit Exchange Board approved “Covered California” as the marketplace’s name on October 30, 2012, after months of research and testing. The Exchange worked with stakeholders, researchers and its advertising partners to develop name and logo options, which were tested in quantitative and qualitative focus groups in San Diego and Sacramento. Participants were selected to reflect California’s diversity in ethnicity, age, income and language spoken at home. Nearly 75 percent of participants favored either “Covered California” or “Covered CA.” Other finalists included Eureka, CaliHealth and Ursa, with Avocado reaching the semi-final round before being cut.[1][2]
The logo has remained consistent since its 2012 introduction. Covered California’s official brand style guide, updated as recently as February 2019, continues to describe the same standard logo and its usage rules, indicating no major visual redesign has occurred.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
According to Covered California’s official brand style guide, the logo “represents the diverse population that will access health coverage through the marketplace.” The mark consists of nested Cs rotated 90 degrees clockwise, which “embody the concept of coverage in a protective umbrella shape while subtly referencing the brand name.”[3]
The name itself was chosen to convey the exchange’s purpose. Executive Director Peter V. Lee said the board approved “a new name and logo design that conveys to the public who we are and what they can expect,” adding that the name was selected to “speak to all Californians” and help the exchange connect with the state’s diverse communities.[1]
Typography and Design
The Covered California brand style guide specifies that the wordmark “is set in a contemporary sans serif typeface that communicates clearly and effectively while supporting the clean and friendly iconography.” The trademark symbol must always accompany the logo and be no smaller than 4 pt in Helvetica Bold.[3]
The logo is available in vertical and horizontal configurations, with the vertical version designated as the preferred format. Each version comes in five color formats: CMYK, RGB, grayscale, one-color black and reverse white. The style guide directs users to use EPS files for print, JPG files for web and Word applications, and PNG files for PowerPoint.[3]
Covered California is a registered trademark of the state of California, and publications using the logo must include the legal line “Covered California is a registered trademark of the state of California.”[3]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
