Wholesome Branding

Begin By Starting

These days there are websites on every street corner that will provide you with off-the-shelf logos, branding and website templates. As the design equivalent of fast-food they’re quite tempting.

Yet when it came to Begin By Starting’s branding I didn’t want quick and cheap. I wanted something that would be wholesome, nourishing and with a nuanced depth of flavour. I wanted to work with people who would be able to absorb and understand the approach being taken, and then distill that into a visual message.

I already knew Gillian and Mark from shared interests in projects for environmental and social Good which helped, but regardless; a few minutes into presenting their approach and it was clear that they were the right people for the job.

Good food takes time to prepare, there’s a careful process to follow, a pride in the right way to approach it. Taking a peek inside the kitchen to watch the process, and how the ingredients are used is a treat. I asked Mark to tell some of the story and meaning behind the branding they created for Begin By Starting. So – over to the chef.

“Begin By Starting (BBS) is a fantastic initiative that covers many of the initiatives designed to bring about a change in the way we develop our future resilience. And what’s more, it takes the first practical steps to progress the change that society and local communities need to start seeing.

The components that combine to create sustainable projects such as BBS were identified during initial design research. The site’s map where the development will happen is split into key areas, allowing the design to be suggestive of the various strands. To show how the land is used, we created an ever-changing group of shapes that, when combined, form the BBS acronym.

The bright, energetic design and photography aim to inspire, to show that future thinking on sustainable development doesn’t and isn’t ‘Wooly’. It’s dynamic, new and energising for all that follow. And that’s the feeling we want to bring as the website and brand find their footing.

We have only just begun on the path, but the website will adapt and expand to the changes we see on the ground. And we hope the audience starts to feel as inspired as we were when working with Sune.”