KUTOA PROJECT • NAIROBI, KENYAThe Road to Restoration
01 BRAND STRATEGY02 BRAND IDENTITY03 PATTERN DESIGN04 COPYWRITING05 PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTION06 WEB DESIGN07 SQUARESPACE DEVELOPMENTKutoa Project is a counseling and education center in Nairobi, Kenya that supports those who have been affected by trauma and those who serve them to experience healing through hopeful, purposeful, and faith-filled services.
Their first 5 years in operation were spent getting the organization off the ground and focusing on their in-person services: counseling, trauma-informed care training, and community enrichment.
In 2021, the team came to us with the realization that they are growing rapidly, and their brand and website needed to evolve with them. Since then, we have worked with Kutoa Project to help them make an even greater impact in Kenya and beyond through brand design, website, photography, and donor touchpoints.
Hope, Healing & Community
Since we began working with Kutoa Project, their care for those who have experienced trauma and creating a community of trauma-informed caregivers in Kenya was undeniable.
To them, people are everything. They are wholly devoted to bringing their country’s culture and traditions to the forefront.
Through the designs, we wanted to showcase this by constructing a logo mark that is constructed of African mud cloth and Kente cloth that holds deep meaning. The detailed logo, alongside striking visuals, was the perfect blend of welcoming and memorable.
THE DESIGN MOODBOARD
Symbolism and Meaning
African mud cloth and Kente cloth both are overflowing with amalgamations of symbols that build striking patterns. And no pattern is the same. In our design process, we looked at the intricacies of the cloths to pick out repeating patterns (sketches on the right). Our Kenyan contacts told us that none of the patterns have a specific meaning. So—we assigned meanings to each based on how each mark could be interpreted. Then, we used the ones we found to be tied to Kutoa Project’s values and constructed a symbol to define their brand.
SAFETY
RESTORATION
FAITH
HOPE
PURPOSE
SAFETY RESTORATION FAITH HOPE PURPOSE
Visceral, Emotional Photography
In today’s era, we are visually bombarded. To stop someone in their scroll, powerful storytelling through photography is a must. We worked with Kutoa Project to art direct their photoshoot (which happened on the other side of the world as us!). We laid out mood boards, created a shot list, and worked with their photographer to capture the raw emotion to document their clients/models in a photojournalistic style.
A Blended Digital Platform
Kutoa Project’s main challenge was to be able to have their website serve both the Kenyan audience (who are looking for services) and their growing Donor audience (who want ministry updates and how to support the organization).
We helped them organize their content to serve both audiences while keeping at the forefront the ease of the booking system for counseling appointments.
Additionally, we incorporated education into the platform that allows the Kenyan audiences to learn more about mental health and Kutoa Project’s perspectives—as well as spaces for donors to learn how they can best partner with and support the team.
The site now is a welcoming digital home that engages viewers and immerses them wholly into the Kutoa Project family.
Hover below to scroll through the website.
Donor Touchpoints
As Kutoa Project fundraises, having handouts to connect with donors is key. We helped them construct brochures, one-pagers, business cards, thank-you postcards, and banners to help them connect with potential supporters at every touchpoint. These items helped keep Kutoa Project top of mind, point donors in the way of financial support, learn more, and be a part of sharing their stories.
Statistics of Impact
In just one year, it was undeniable how large of an impact Kutoa Project’s rebrand and website redesign had on their organization. Their growth was seen through the traffic to their site, the number of donations received, and amount of individuals they were able to provide care to.
We cannot wait to continue watching them grow and touch lives through their work.
To support Kutoa Project, view their work and make a donation. Your support allows them to continue moving mountains for clients in Nairobi, Kenya and beyond.
WHAT THEY SAID“In our first 5 years, a lot happened that transformed Kutoa Project. When looking to tell our evolving story in a new and vibrant way, we found Sereth Design, our web design and branding guru. Their expertise helped us redefine and reimagine the story we’ve been a part of building for so long in the most thoughtful and intentional way.”
— Shaé and Jason Brown • Kutoa Project • Nairobi, Kenya
