Identity and Brand
Reclaim WA
Reclaiming care, connection, and possibility.
2024
A collaborative renaming and identity program for a Washington nonprofit evolving beyond its former name, University Beyond Bars. Over six months, I guided RECLAIM from discovery to a clear, community-rooted brand built for its next chapter.
SERVICES
Naming Strategy, Brand Strategy, Visual Identity, Logo Design, Brand Guidelines, Website Art Direction
Approach
New name and logo beginnings
Listening before naming.
I began by reviewing the organization’s history, services, audiences, and ambitions for the future. Virtual working sessions with the team and conversations with people who had experienced its reentry support firsthand made the work more specific: this was an organization helping people reclaim connection, care, agency, and a sense of belonging. From those insights, I developed mood boards, naming territories, and early identity directions. “RECLAIM” emerged through the team’s collaborative discussion: direct, resonant, and expansive enough to hold both the organization’s legacy and its future.
Process
Goal-oriented meets and asynchronous work allowed the team to remain deeply involved while giving the brand room to take shape with purpose.
The engagement was designed to make space for reflection and shared decision-making. I built a clear six-month roadmap, then facilitated weekly and twice-monthly virtual sessions to review progress, gather feedback, and earn approval at each stage. The process included: - Brand and stakeholder discovery - Participant-informed interviews and listening sessions - Mood boards and visual-direction exploration - Naming exploration and refinement - Multiple logo concepts and iterative review - Identity-system development and brand guidelines - Website and marketing applications
The logo’s compact, brick-like structure communicates strength, steadiness, and collective building.
Final Design
The final identity is grounded, simple, and strong. Its structural logo form takes its cue from the stability of a brick: enduring, dependable, and built to hold weight. That visual solidity supports a name centered on restoration and forward movement. A restrained palette of straightforward hex colors keeps the system practical and easy to use across the website, social content, fundraising materials, and everyday program communications. The result is a brand that feels clear without becoming clinical; bold without becoming inaccessible.
Conclusion
RECLAIM is more than a new name. It is a shared statement of what people deserve: care, connection, accountability, and the space to rebuild. To find out more about Reclaim WA, visit the www.reclaimwa.org
