Since starting our rebrand project in 2020, we has made a commitment to ensuring our brand is safe, accessible and inclusive for everyone.
We tend to associate the term ‘brand’ with visual aspects of an organisation, such as the logo. However, our brand is much more than that. Our brand is how we connect to our vision, purpose and values. It’s how we represent and connect with our community and can also impact the way we connect with clients. This is where having an accessible and readily identifiable brand is important. It ensures that we represent the communities we seek to serve and that those communities know that they can safely access our services.
Aligning our brand to our vision, purpose and values
Our vision, purpose and values have guided our rebrand.
The strategic plan sets out our transformative vision for a more inclusive and intersectional focus on Gender equity in the west, that extends our strong and ongoing focus on women, while also recognising the impacts of gender inequity on members of LGBTIQA+ communities.
Along with the strategic plan and vision for the future, our values provide the organisation with a strong culture framework.
These key pieces of work ensure that we are working towards a brand not only reflects the kind of organisation we are, but the kind we want to be in the years ahead.
What is an accessible brand?
An accessible brand is one that represents its key communities of interest (such as women and children, First Nations peoples, people with a disability, migrant and refugee communities, young people and older people) that has engaged those communities in all aspects of the project from research, consultation and implementation.
Accessibility and diversity embodied in all parts of our organisation
An accessible and inclusive brand is one that demonstrates diversity in all parts of the organisation.
The visual aspects of our brand, such as illustrations of our key communities of interest, colour palettes and typography that can be accessed by individuals with low vision, play an important part in telling our story and connecting with the people we work with.
However, renewing our visual identity is one part of this process, we must also look at other parts of our organisation, including our name. An organisation’s name is the first thing prospective clients see, and for many is an indicator of who the service is for and what assistance it can provide. As our organisation grows and as we centre inclusivity, we must also question the level of accessibility it provides.
We look forward to being able to share our new brand with you in the coming months, and we encourage you to sign up to our mailing list for any further updates.
