THE PROJECT

The director of the Brief Therapy Center (BTC), which had just gone through some fairly major institutional restructuring, was looking to create a new brand to reflect its changes. Their goal was to create a global brand based around a method of therapy invented by their organization over 50 years ago, to leverage their many years of presence in the space, to create a network of mental health providers that were certified in the Brief Therapy Model, and to provide trainings in order to grow this network. BTC was looking for a partner to help make strategic choices in their growth, as well as designers and developers that would allow for them to implement and craft their vision. I was the lead designer on this project and the liaison between the BTC group and our team.

THE BRAND AND CHALLENGES

We ultimately created a modern brand that leveraged a wealth of specialized historical content available to the Brief Therapy Center, with a modern twist that imbues the site with vitality and modern design sensibility. The Brief Therapy group were looking to maintain a western brand feel that would also appeal to their key demographic of affluent groups in Latin America. Creating a western brand that was accessible and inviting to Latin American users would prove to be the project’s biggest challenge; another challenge was creating an institutional hierarchy between the central brand and regional hubs that operated autonomously and offered differing services. It became critical to have a central brand guide, but different websites that would allow the Mexico, Paraguay, and Barcelona groups to operate freely within the organization.

THE VISUAL EXPERIENCE

The visual experience we created is simple, playful, and emphasizes change. Accessing change and unconventional solutions are pillars of the Brief Therapy Model. Limiting the use of color on the site proved to be a valuable tool in boosting conversions. The CTA’s became a very powerful tool, as they are the few instances of color on the website. In addition, the playful use of illustration made the otherwise lifeless grey-scale photos playful and engaging.