Rockinghorse Children’s Charity provides support and care to babies and young people in Sussex. UnitedUs, a Brighton-based branding studio which has been involved with the charity on and off over the years, worked on a new identity for Rockinghorse that would help spread awareness of its vital work and give it a stronger presence in digital spaces.

A big part of the challenge was making sure that Rockinghorse’s identity still spoke to very young patients, as it had previously, but that it would also appeal to the young adults in its care and older adults who will interact with it by extension.

The name of the organisation laid the foundations for its new identity, which features arched shapes and ‘rocking’ motion design. The rocking horse logo and the main palette of blue and yellow were there before, but both have been refreshed as part of a wider exercise in injecting energy and optimism into the brand.

The identity now features beefy, characterful typography, which feels both appropriate for the young people it engages with and in tune with contemporary brands addressing all kinds of audiences. The team also worked on the charity’s verbal identity, which features “upbeat language” that inspires a sense of solidarity.

As well as creating a new identity, UnitedUs helped to design an appropriate space where it could live. After a series of workshops, the studio overhauled the website’s UX and UI to make it both practical and visually stimulating for everyone from patients to potential donors.

“This rebrand has provided a more professional identity for the children’s charity,” the studio said, “a brand designed to empower the people it supports with the bravery, energy and optimism they approach in their daily lives.”

unitedus.co.uk