Waythrough
A promise to people in recovery Formed from the best of two established charities in mental health, alcohol and substance use, gambling and housing, Waythrough takes a holistic approach to recovery, supporting people throughout their journey; whoever they are and wherever they want to go.
This holistic approach is a departure in a sector which has often talked this talk but has not, until now, delivered it. The two charities coming together represents the biggest charity merger in the UK.
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Bringing the best of both
Evan Chiswell, Waythrough’s executive director of partnerships, innovation and business development, set the brief. He was determined that new identity would focus on the needs of the people the two charities supported. “In our next chapter we will be supporting people in a much broader and person-centric way than ever before,” he told us. “This was at the heart of how we developed our values, vision and promise. And this has all been brought to life effectively by our brand and broader identity.”
The charity’s promise to people who use its services is:
Wherever you are now, we won’t judge or write you off
We’ll help you work out who you want to be and where you want to go
We’ll stick with you until you’re ready to move on.
Multidisciplinary teams at both charities – Richmond Fellowship and Humankind – worked together from the outset, drafting us in to lead the identity development. The board and senior executive team were advised by Henry Playfoot, whose approach reflected their desire to create a brand narrative that is direct, unfussy and relatable. And Becolourful’s Emily Penny supported us in creating the name.
During the development phase, we listened to diverse communities in workshops, advisory and sounding boards to make sure we understood the lived experience of people using services or volunteering as part of their recovery journey. A treasure trove of videos and case studies of people’s recovery stories directly informed the naming brief.
Waythrough: a name full of hope
The name Waythrough emerged after rigorous selection. It reflects the charity’s hope and belief that there is a way through recovery for anyone, with the right support. As such ‘Waythrough’ stands as a promise to every person it helps.
Once this was established, the Waythrough brand then needed to sit comfortably at the helm of a range of existing service brands, social enterprises and sub-brands from the two charities, as well as allow space for potential expansion. A decision tree tool was developed to ensure future services and products always align with Waythrough’s overarching purpose and promise.
The W journey
A W mark is used in the logo and visual language to depict people’s individual journeys. The lines aren’t straight, because life isn’t straightforward. Because of this, Waythrough’s approach is flexible, meeting the people who use the services wherever they are.
And in a sector saturated with pinks and purples, Waythrough’s lead colour is a reassuring and confident sage green, representing new beginnings and growth. A wide range of secondary colours in the palette build flexibility into the identity system to accommodate any future growth.
Accessibility is a fundamental driver in the design of the system, along with readily adaptable graphic shapes, icons and textures to give the identity warmth, individuality and flexibility and allow local services to have personality within a recognisable framework.
Photography features portraits of people using or have used the services, with their humanity and individuality reflected through natural, warm shots of them looking directly to camera.
Lisa Cromer, Brand Ethos’s design director, said: “The joy of this project is not just seeing the impact Waythrough’s new identity is already having, but the truly collaborative working that has taken place between client, consultant, agency and advisory teams. This was a complex project, but together we’ve achieved a confident and buoyant identity with real integrity. I look forward to seeing the internal team play with and develop it.”
