A personal design challenge to re-brand a pivotal feminist organisation in five days for International Women's Day 2022.
Background
EVAW is a leading coalition of specialist women’s support services, researchers, activists, survivors and NGOs working to end violence against women and girls in all its forms. They lobby all levels of UK government to adopt better, more joined up approaches to ending and preventing violence, and challenge cultural attitudes that tolerate and condone abuse. Thus, they have a vital role in advocating for gender equality and challenging systemic and persistent VAWG* in UK society.
However, a brand audit highlighted issues with its strategy, messaging and identity. I felt it was important that these were addressed in order to help EVAW achieve its aims and with it, wider positive societal and political change. This was done via a new brand identity which sought to unite EVAW under a more cohesive brand strategy and message. This was applied to print promotional assets and a partial re-design and re-structure of their website and Instagram page.
Job Role
Personal Project (Design Challenge)
Personal Project (Design Challenge)
Sector
NGO, Charity, Gender Equality, Political Activism
NGO, Charity, Gender Equality, Political Activism
Design Services
Advertising, Brand Audit, Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Brand Messaging, Digital, Print, Website Design
Advertising, Brand Audit, Brand Identity, Brand Strategy, Brand Messaging, Digital, Print, Website Design
* Violence Against Women and Girls
Process (Brand Audit)
Prior to the re-design a brand audit was completed. This examined the strengths and weakness of internal and external branding plus elements of customer experience in relation to EVWA's pre-existing assets, primarily the logo, website and socials.
Overall, key internal branding such as concise mission, values, goals and culture were unclear or not prominent on website and socials. External branding revealed inconsistencies in naming and use of a very common feminist colour combination (e.g. Suffragette colours purple, white and green). There was also a lack of clear structure, navigation and visuals on digital platforms. Customer experience highlighted that donation and support web pages were text heavy and weren't included on socials.
The issues were addressed using the same structure of the brand audit, examining how internal and external branding plus customer experience could be made clearer and more cohesive.
To view the full brand audit click here.
Process (Re-brand)
External Branding: Brand Identity, Ads & Marketing
External Branding: Brand Identity, Ads & Marketing
Changes in external branding involved creating a new logo and identity system. A primary logo adopts the acronym EVAW, addressing issues of length, while the secondary includes the full name aligned to the letters of the primary. The two lines of the secondary logo suggest an equal sign, yet an unequal length indicates equality is not yet gained, but ending VAWG will help reach it. The secondary logo is used for instances that require instant context (e.g. reports or protest signs).
A new colour system (black, white and purple) is adopted to avoid the over-use of Suffragette colours (green, white and purple) in feminist organisations. These were inspired by seminal feminist publications like See Red Women's Workshop. Black and white were used to highlight the direct 'black and white' nature of EVAW's mission, while purple keeps historic relations to feminism. Various colour combinations that reflect the colour split of the logo are used within typography for extra emphasis. Inclusion of more visuals such as brand icons that convey internal branding and consistent brand imagery, that convey a clear sense of humanity, diversity and activism, were also adopted.
These elements were applied across print advertising and promotional assets, and digital platforms of website and Instagram.
To view the brand guidelines click here.
Process (Re-brand)
Internal Branding: Brand Mission, Goals, Values & Culture
Internal Branding: Brand Mission, Goals, Values & Culture
Changes in internal branding involved making mission, values, goals and culture clearer and more prominent on digital platforms. On the website this was done through a re-structuring of pages and the navigation menu, clearer headlining, more concise, reduced or bolder text and more visuals to indicate content (e.g. via inclusion of icons). Additionally an inclusion of a video on the homepage helps to summarise all aspects of internal branding. On Instagram this involved creating a more consistent visual style, inclusion of a link tree and highlighting key internal branding elements via stories.
External Branding & Customer Experience: Digital Presence, Sales Process
Three web pages were re-designed, 'Home', 'Who' (previously About) and 'Donation'. This allowed central issues of internal branding to be addressed as well as elements of customer experience through a clarification of the donation page.
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