SeeAbility
We provided full brand refresh for this extraordinary charity which supports people with learning disabilities and autism, many of whom have sight loss.
Despite being much-loved and one of the oldest charities in the UK, SeeAbility had been struggling to get its message across. Our brand refresh gave them a fresh sense of confidence and the ability to articulate their purpose more effectively.
A clear sense of purpose
Like many charities, SeeAbility’s purpose has evolved over the two centuries since it was first founded as the Royal School for the Blind. Today it provides support services for people with learning disabilities, while also raising awareness of the integral link between learning disability and sight loss.
This is vital work, since one in ten adults with a learning disability has a serious sight problem, but very often these issues go undiagnosed.
Our research showed that the organisation's proud heritage in supporting blind people was tending to eclipse its current core purpose. So the new brand needed to position SeeAbility as primarily a support provider, while also maintaining the link with sight loss.
“Mike and the team worked alongside people we support, families, donors, commissioners and colleagues to develop our new brand. Now we have a fantastic new look and feel, and clear messaging that reflects our values and lets us stand out in a crowded marketplace. ”
Research and consultation
We began the process with a strategic review and an extensive consultation exercise, speaking to customers, staff and supporters. Then, armed with these insights, we worked with the senior team to develop an up to date strategic brand position, along with core messaging. We recommended taking a fresh look at one of SeeAbility's key brand assets – its name – to renew the organisation's focus on disabled people's strengths and capabilities.
We dubbed this new approach 'Big Ability', which become our ‘big idea’ that was carried through into the brand personality and logo design and backed up by the passionate promise that ‘We don’t underestimate people.’
A big, bold and confident new style
The updated visual style is bold and confident, with the vibrant typographic logo emphasising the word 'ability'.
We took great care to ensure strong visual contrasts and highly visible type to support an inclusive approach to design.
The imagery and overall attitude of the new brand style celebrates the people SeeAbility supports, all of whom overcome extraordinary challenges every day and challenge us to rethink disability.
A bigger voice and a badge of pride
This attention-grabbing and celebratory new brand has been rapidly adopted by staff and stakeholders and is being used across a wide range of fundraising and communications materials. It’s also giving stakeholders a much clearer sense of how to celebrate the organisation they champion and love.
Website re-skin
We created a new look for the existing SeeAbility website by providing a re-skin to match the publishing and components of their existing CMS.
Key services provided
Full brand refresh
Core brand copy and positioning
Guidelines and collateral
Website styling