Asperger East Anglia is dedicated to providing advice and assistance to sufferers of Asperger syndrome across the region. When the time came to overhaul their existing brand, The Click were drafted in to create a striking new visual identity, printed literature, and poster campaign for the charity.
Asperger East Anglia is an important lifeline to many sufferers of Asperger syndrome located in the region. The support provided by the charity is gratefully received, as are their efforts to promote greater public knowledge of this often misunderstood condition. In order for Asperger East Anglia to sustain the personal and comprehensive assistance currently on offer across the county, it is important further resources are secured, be it through government grants, public fundraising or private charitable donations. It was decided a bold brand identity would greatly benefit Asperger East Anglia, both in distinguishing the charity among the host of other organisations vying for support, and making this important resource for sufferers of Asperger syndrome easier to recognise.
The brand
When it came to designing a new brand for Asperger East Anglia, we wanted to create something that was wholly appropriate for both the charity and their clients. One symptom of Asperger syndrome is an acutely literal use and understanding of language. It can make navigating the subtle intricacies of day-to-day communication, something many take for granted, substantially more difficult. The new brand is designed to visually represent this straightforward and honest nature, found both at the heart of charity communication and the condition itself.
We created a versatile typographic logo by re-appropriating the letter ‘A’, initial of Asperger, and using it to lead a range of titles attached to each of the products. A bold monochrome colour scheme presents the brand ‘in black and white’, a further reference to the sincere communication that is so central to Asperger East Anglia.
The print
Each element of the full suite of communications features bold typography and adheres to the black and white colour scheme. The bold simplicity of the design coupled with the acutely literal title — A Note, A Letter, A Leaflet — constitutes an engaging visual identity that is in keeping with the cause of the charity and it’s clients. Monochrome also serves to reduce the revenue required for printing stationery, ensuring that a larger percentage of the money available to the charity goes to those who need it most.
The posters
We were keen to ensure those at the heart of the charity took centre stage in the poster advertising campaign to accompany the new brand. To do this, we took a series of portraits featuring clients of Asperger East Anglia and entitled each with ‘A Message’ accompanied by a short paragraph designed to promote a better understanding of Asperger syndrome.
The idea of branding a charity may seem problematic to some — indeed, the brand need not sell the organisation in a conventional sense, but must aid it’s cause. By drawing attention to the problematic aspects of life with the syndrome, we hope that the identity will promote a greater understanding of Asperger syndrome, assist in fundraising activity, and clearly signpost the charity to those in need.
