COUNSELLING CULTURES, CANADA
2024
Branding for a culturally rooted counselling service
context
Counselling Cultures was founded to support newly resettled individuals in Canada, particularly those from Asia and northern Africa, with diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. The founder approached us four months ahead of launch, with a clear mission but limited resources. This was a founder-led initiative grounded in cultural responsiveness, aiming to provide counselling that respects linguistic nuance, faith-based values, and the lived realities of migration.
CHALLENGE
The identity needed to feel professional and emotionally safe, without becoming ethnically narrow. It had to acknowledge Islamic and cross-regional cultural references while remaining inclusive of communities spanning East Asia to West Africa.
The visual system also needed to subtly incorporate Arabic letterforms in a modern way. Most importantly, the brand had to communicate multiplicity: different identities, languages, and lived experiences held within one cohesive system.
APPROACH
Drawing from our familiarity with multiple scripts, including Arabic, we began by studying the structure of specific Arabic letterforms and exploring how they could be modularised within a grid. This led us to the idea of the tile as a foundational building block, inspired by mosaic traditions across Islamic architecture.
The tile became both metaphor and mechanism. Individual units could combine to form words, patterns, and shapes, reflecting how identities are constructed through layered histories and cultures. The system allowed for both intricate and simplified applications across print and digital formats, grounding the brand in familiar architectural and typographic traditions without becoming regionally prescriptive.
We initially explored vibrant blue and yellow combinations drawn from Uzbek, Egyptian, Moroccan, and Malaysian references. Following feedback from the founder’s trusted client base, we pivoted to a softer, warmer palette of vanilla cream, beige, olive, and rust - reinforcing emotional warmth and professional calm.
WHAT MADE THIS INTERESTING
Our ability to work directly with Arabic letterforms allowed the concept to move beyond aesthetic reference into structural integration. Rather than borrowing motifs, we built the identity from language itself.
Equally important was the collaborative dynamic. Working with a hands-on founder who actively sought feedback from his community meant the system had to remain adaptable. We refined and reshaped the direction until it resonated deeply with both his vision and his audience.
OUTCOME
We developed a complete visual identity system including logo, typographic hierarchy, colour palette, and modular key visuals. In parallel, we supported the founder in building his own website on Google Sites by establishing UI standards, templates, and responsive layout guidance to ensure consistency across desktop and mobile.
The resulting brand system created a culturally grounded yet inclusive identity that could resonate across multiple regions and faith backgrounds. Its modular structure allows the founder to extend the brand independently, ensuring consistency without dependence on constant external design support.
TAKEAWAYS
This project reinforced the value of flexibility in founder-led branding projects where they're going to be incharge after hand off. Strong systems that they help you build creates confidence. And shared ownership with the output creates longevity.
If you’ve come so far, lets connect.
Designing Medical Packaging for B2C and B2B
02
LETS GET
STARTED
LETS GET
STARTED
2024
COUNSELLING CULTURES, CANADA
Branding for a culturally rooted counselling service in vancouver, Canada
context
Counselling Cultures was founded to support newly resettled individuals in Canada, particularly those from Asia and northern Africa, with diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. The founder approached us four months ahead of launch, with a clear mission but limited resources. This was a founder-led initiative grounded in cultural responsiveness, aiming to provide counselling that respects linguistic nuance, faith-based values, and the lived realities of migration.
CHALLENGE
The identity needed to feel professional and emotionally safe, without becoming ethnically narrow. It had to acknowledge Islamic and cross-regional cultural references while remaining inclusive of communities spanning East Asia to West Africa.
The visual system also needed to subtly incorporate Arabic letterforms in a modern way. Most importantly, the brand had to communicate multiplicity: different identities, languages, and lived experiences held within one cohesive system.
approach
Drawing from our familiarity with multiple scripts, including Arabic, we began by studying the structure of specific Arabic letterforms and exploring how they could be modularised within a grid. This led us to the idea of the tile as a foundational building block, inspired by mosaic traditions across Islamic architecture.
The tile became both metaphor and mechanism. Individual units could combine to form words, patterns, and shapes, reflecting how identities are constructed through layered histories and cultures. The system allowed for both intricate and simplified applications across print and digital formats, grounding the brand in familiar architectural and typographic traditions without becoming regionally prescriptive.
We initially explored vibrant blue and yellow combinations drawn from Uzbek, Egyptian, Moroccan, and Malaysian references. Following feedback from the founder’s trusted client base, we pivoted to a softer, warmer palette of vanilla cream, beige, olive, and rust - reinforcing emotional warmth and professional calm.
WHAT MADE THIS INTERESTING
Our ability to work directly with Arabic letterforms allowed the concept to move beyond aesthetic reference into structural integration. Rather than borrowing motifs, we built the identity from language itself.
Equally important was the collaborative dynamic. Working with a hands-on founder who actively sought feedback from his community meant the system had to remain adaptable. We refined and reshaped the direction until it resonated deeply with both his vision and his audience.
OUTCOME
We developed a complete visual identity system including logo, typographic hierarchy, colour palette, and modular key visuals. In parallel, we supported the founder in building his own website on Google Sites by establishing UI standards, templates, and responsive layout guidance to ensure consistency across desktop and mobile.
The resulting brand system created a culturally grounded yet inclusive identity that could resonate across multiple regions and faith backgrounds. Its modular structure allows the founder to extend the brand independently, ensuring consistency without dependence on constant external design support.
TAKEAWAYS
This project reinforced the value of flexibility in founder-led branding projects where they're going to be incharge after hand off. Strong systems that they help you build creates confidence. And shared ownership with the output creates longevity.
Designing Medical Packaging for B2C and B2B
02
LETS GET STARTED
