CISWH at BU School of Social Work sought our help in aligning their brand identity with their organizational, operational, and programmatic path forward they defined in their most current Strategic Plan. To bring that important work to life in their branding, we brought several stakeholders together for a productive exploration and articulation of their higher purpose, persona and values, unique value propositions, and more.
Branding
Website Design & Development
CMYK: 90, 76, 0, 0
RGB: 0, 71, 204
HEX: #0047CC
CMYK: 71, 79, 0, 0
RGB: 118, 0, 255
HEX: #7600FF
CMYK: 7, 100, 46, 0
RGB: 224, 0, 93
HEX: #E0005D
CMYK: 1, 14, 100, 0
RGB: 255, 213, 0
HEX: #FFD500
CMYK: 68, 0, 100, 0
RGB: 37, 224, 0
HEX: #25E000
We conducted extensive research, carefully listened to stakeholders with diverse perspectives, and facilitated collaborative workshops to build consensus and excitement for the new identity. CISWH now has a strong foundation from which they can continue to build content with a consistency of voice and message that captivates and engages their wide-ranging target audiences.
When we began the visual identity work for CISWH, our guiding question was: How can we make the brand feel alive, energized, and welcoming? We aimed to create visuals that felt as dynamic and forward-looking as the work they do. The brand attributes—innovative, open-minded, dynamic, confident, credible, and inviting—became the design pillars that guided every decision. The vibrant color palette we created became an important element in their visual identify for the website and beyond.
We introduced the hexagon as a core design motif to symbolize CISWH’s eight research areas, with each side representing one of their interconnected fields of work. This geometric shape not only provides a strong visual framework for organizing information but also reinforces the brand’s identity, appearing in icons, graphics, and layouts as a consistent thread that ties their initiatives together.
To make CISWH’s research easily navigable, we developed a taxonomy system for their research areas paired with a custom icon set that categorizes their work in a clear, user-friendly way. The icons not only create an intuitive visual pathway through the research and resources but also serve as a distinctive element of the brand’s visual identity, reinforcing recognition and consistency across digital and print materials.
We restructured the site’s information architecture to clearly guide CISWH’s primary audiences, social work leaders and influencers researchers, policy makers, students, and faculty, toward the resources most relevant to their work. By streamlining navigation and organizing content around user needs, we made it faster and easier for visitors to discover tools, publications, and best practices that support their goals.
We built the site on WordPress with a flexible framework that allows the CISWH team to easily update content and manage resources without technical expertise. Automated features and cross-referencing tools ensure that related content stays connected across the site, reducing manual effort and keeping information consistently up to date.
Accessibility was a core priority in the redesign, ensuring the site meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards so that all users can engage with CISWH’s resources. From color contrast and typography choices to alt text, keyboard navigation, and structured content hierarchy, every element was designed to create an inclusive digital experience that is both usable and equitable.
Proud to be a certified women-owned business
Proud to be a certified women-owned business
Proud to be a certified women-owned business
