AFS Unveils New Look and Website

We are excited to unveil the new look of AFS, a visual redesign that matches the vibrancy, relevance, and immediacy of our field. The new package, featuring an updated and improved website, was designed and developed to better communicate our work to wider audiences,  amplifying the voices and effects of the individuals, organizations, and communities engaged in folklore studies and practice.

We invite you to check out the new experience at https://americanfolkloresociety.org.

The redesigned website delivers greater functionality and accessibility for our members and the general public and can be used on any mobile device. We’ve improved the site’s organization to make it easier for you to find and use resources, keep up with important folklore-related news, and track events of interest to all of us working in and around the field. We’ve also made it easy for you to share useful resources, news, and events. 

This unveiling of the new look is a special moment, but it is just one step in a long, deliberative, and thoughtful process. For the past year, we’ve met with members and colleagues with diverse perspectives and experiences to listen to their needs, and to invite their reactions throughout the entire project. The undertaking began by examining and articulating our mission, vision, and role in the field, then repeatedly, over multiple iterations, assessing the effectiveness of the design in serving those ends. The strikingly colorful and image-rich design, by Sasha Endoh Code & Design, embodies our goal to boldly represent the importance of our field. 

The result is a new look that, just like AFS, faces the future by addressing present strengths and challenges, without forgetting the past.

The new brandmark echoes the gold and red weave pattern that members have known since 2010, as well as the quilt block logo that preceded it. Each generation of the image, including our new logo, reminds us of the many ways that the interweaving of cultures and traditions shapes the field of folklore and the world that we live in. 

Though the new website is ready to use, we’re still at work on further improvements, including a more functional member portal and better communication tools, as well as migrating more of the considerable, complex content from our old website, afsnet.org, which will now exclusively house members-only content. Especially in the short term, you may find broken links, old logos or webpages, or have trouble finding content from our previous site as we continue to work on this transition. If so, please contact us at [email protected].

The member portal at afsnet.org now looks a little different, but you will still sign in with your existing username and password. Once you’ve signed in, you will recognize the familiar member-only functions, such as renewing AFS and section membership, finding receipts, and participating in online groups.

We thank designer Sasha Endoh and web developer Melissa Clark for this beautiful, functional creation,  as well as all of our colleagues who participated in reviewing the design. We hope you will agree that it is not just a refreshing change, but also intuitive, useful, and a pleasure to use.