Rebrand and new website provide a window towards hope
We modernized the Alternatives for Women brand and designed a new website to help the organization showcase its current values and services, raise its profile, and reach more women and children in its community.
Communication design challenge
Alternatives for Women (AFW) provides Second Stage Housing (longer-term housing after leaving abuse), and non-judgmental counselling that is inclusive, culturally safe, and supportive of women’s choices. Based in Prince Edward County, Ontario, AFW advocates on behalf of women and children and educates the public about the issues concerning women who have experienced domestic violence.
After being in operation for over 35 years, it was time for AFW to refine the look and feel of the organization to better align with its current values and range of services. The rebrand aimed to connect with potential clients, referral partners, and the general public — many of whom recently moved to Prince Edward County — and to highlight AFW’s holistic approach to supporting families.
iilo worked closely with the AFW team to design a new logo, moving through several iterations to land on the right imagery, fonts, and colours that conjured feelings of safety, compassion, and empowerment. The final result represented “a window towards hope” and steered away from the common misconception that AFW is an emergency shelter. The purple palette also aligned better with the organization’s inclusive services for people who identify as women.
In the second phase of this collaboration, iilo helped AFW to design and program a custom WordPress website. AFW’s old website was many years old and it was challenging and time-consuming for the team to make simple updates. The site was becoming a barrier to communicating with its target audiences.
The new website prioritized a user-centric experience for both the AFW team and its clients. iilo shared content strategy recommendations and guidance on using simple language so visitors can easily understand what AFW does, and edited the home page content. We also took privacy into consideration by helping AFW switch to a Canadian hosting service provider and create a prominent button for users to exit the site quickly.
Outcomes
Throughout the collaboration, iilo provided education on communication design principles. Since then, the AFW team has been actively putting the principles to use, such as by consistently posting values-aligned blogs and resources on its new website. It’s wonderful to see the AFW team take ownership of their newly refreshed brand!
AFW’s new brand and website project professionalism, warmth, and a sense of safety, mirroring their core values and mission. The organization now has a modernized connection with the community and the tools to spread awareness about its diverse services. This rebrand will meet AFW’s needs for a long time, hopefully for another 35 years!
Our impact
Lisa and Madelen had a great understanding of our organization and our needs. They really listened to what was important to us and helped guide us when we got lost in the weeds of the project. The result was a great rebrand!
