One of our favorite things is giving back to our local community. When our friends over at Souls Harbor reached out for help building a new website, our immediate answer was "heck yes." Souls Harbor wanted a better presentation of their mission, their services, and their impact. It was also important to their team to show the full process of their program, from entry until graduation.
Our first step in helping Souls Harbor reset their brand was working on their logo and colors. They asked us for colors that would convey more energy, hope, and vibrancy. After a few color votes and testing, we settled on a great color wheel combination of mustard yellow, a pastel blue, dark gray and white. Our other objective was to freshen up the logo, so we removed the background and simplified the lighthouse and title.
The website needed to be completely rebuilt and retooled to fit the evolving program. Our ultimate goal was to showcase light animation and movements, while also letting the impact and stories of Souls Harbor remain the center of attention. We utilized our usual Storybrand framework as the core foundation of our design and building process, unpacking one element of the story at a time and leading viewers down the road of recovery in bit-sized pieces. The website was built in the Webflow platform with the help of several great plugins such as donation integrations, custom forms, and other key pieces.
In addition to web design and development, we consulted Souls Harbor on their presentation of mission, vision, and program. One key piece of our consulting was helping to uncover and quantify the "why" behind the mission of Souls Harbor - there is a massive need for a long-term safe environment for men to get help and healing. We worked with Souls Harbor team and board to explain their problem they solved, solution they offered and results the program would bring. We also helped them research and present real facts that back up the demand for their services. Lastly, we consulted the team on how to convey the key outcomes of the program by asking questions such as "what will a graduate look and act like when they are done here?" Answering this question proved to be a great way to unpack vision, communicate core program pillars, and ensure the fulfillment of mission.
Another aspect of our service to Souls Harbor included some intentional conversations around fundraising and how to present quality "asks" around the program. We consulted the team at Souls Harbor in the areas of donor development, fundraising strategy, grant research and preparation, financial transparency, and program description. Ultimately, we know that people only give to what they trust, so we did our best to partner with the Souls Harbor team on how to best convey the impact and trustworthiness of their program.
Originally, the video for Souls Harbor was meant to be just a background video for the website - a moving visual reference of the environment and campus. However, after reviewing the B-roll, it became evident that we needed to do something more with the footage. We ended up writing an anthem - a description of the journey at Souls Harbor with a voice-over cadence that would align well with video and music. This video ended up becoming a great reference for potential donors, potential volunteers, and potential community supporters to get an "inside look" at the faces of Souls Harbor.
Lastly, our team took images of the campus for the website and for future marketing materials. We used wide angle lenses specialized for real estate photography and took some close up portraits of the staff and men. These photos became the centerpiece for the website design and other marketing collaterals.
Our entire process of strategy, design, and execution took roughly 5 months from start to finish. As a result of our full branding and marketing reset, the feedback from Souls Harbor has been amazing - they've seen a jump in support from the local community, they've seen growth in their donation and grant opportunities, and they've had deeper conversations with donors and the community who now understand more of what Souls Harbor has to offer.
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