Richmond Foundation – Crafting Identity with Purpose

At Geist*Studio, we believe that branding is about more than logos and colour palettes – it’s about building a visual and verbal system that reflects the soul of an organisation. When Richmond Foundation (formerly Richmond Parish Lands Charity) approached us with the ambition to rethink and revitalise their identity, we knew this would be more than just a design project. It was an opportunity to help a long-standing, deeply impactful charitable foundation reconnect with the community it serves, reframe how it tells its story, and reimagine how it could grow into the future – without losing the depth of its history.

Richmond Foundation is no ordinary organisation. With roots dating back over 400 years, it has played a critical role in supporting the people of the London Borough of Richmond through grants, partnerships, and place-based giving. But despite the breadth of its work and the richness of its legacy, the foundation’s former identity no longer matched its ambition. Its name was difficult to remember. Its communications felt inconsistent. And its visual presence lacked the warmth, clarity, and accessibility that’s so crucial in the charitable sector today. More importantly, the foundation was evolving – expanding its focus, deepening its impact, and becoming more collaborative and open in its approach. It needed a brand that could support that evolution and communicate its purpose more powerfully to the world.

We began, as we always do, by listening. We met with trustees, staff, community partners, and recipients of support to understand the full context of the work. We wanted to grasp not just what the foundation does, but how and why. These early conversations revealed a story that was both grounded and aspirational – a foundation rooted in place but forward-thinking in mindset, quiet in presence but profound in impact. We heard a shared desire for the foundation to become more visible, more accessible, and more transparent, without losing the humility and trust it had earned over centuries.

Our strategic response was to guide the foundation through a full rebrand – from naming and identity to visual language, voice, and digital presence. One of the first and most significant changes was in the name itself. “Richmond Parish Lands Charity” didn’t reflect the scale or intent of the organisation’s work. It felt outdated and overly formal, especially for a foundation committed to accessibility and partnership. We worked closely with the team to land on “Richmond Foundation” – a name that feels modern, memorable, and aligned with their identity as a catalyst for community wellbeing. It allowed the organisation to step confidently into its future, while still honouring the history behind the name.

Following strategy, we turned our attention to visual identity. The challenge was to create a system that was as adaptable as it was distinctive – something that could live comfortably on everything from community newsletters to digital platforms, from impact reports to partner events. At the heart of the new brand is a symbol composed of interlocking speech bubbles that form the letter “R.” It’s a quiet but powerful representation of connection, dialogue, and the listening culture that sits at the core of the foundation’s ethos. It’s not about the foundation speaking to people, but with them – a principle we wanted the design to make immediately clear.

The full identity system uses a primary palette of Moss, Maroon, and Marble, complemented by accent colours like Teal, Orange, and Pink. These colours work together to create a sense of warmth and approachability, while still feeling grounded and trustworthy. The design is purposefully flexible – the colour combinations can shift based on context, allowing the identity to adapt across media without ever feeling off-brand. We also introduced custom icons, geometric shapes, and a refined typographic system to support clarity and cohesion. All of it works together to make the brand feel more human, more thoughtful, and more alive.

But a brand is more than its visual language. Just as important was how the foundation would speak – how it would articulate its purpose, communicate its work, and connect with stakeholders in a way that felt authentic. We developed a new tone of voice rooted in clarity, humility, and quiet confidence. The new messaging invites people in. It avoids jargon. It focuses on outcomes, collaboration, and shared goals. We wanted every sentence to feel considered – whether it’s a social media caption or a vision statement – because language, like design, has the power to build trust when used well.

As the new identity came together, we helped the team roll it out across every platform. This included designing a new website that not only brought the brand to life but also made it easier for people to engage with the foundation’s work. The old website was difficult to navigate and heavy on institutional language. The new one prioritises accessibility, simplicity, and user experience. It guides users through who the foundation is, what it funds, how to apply, and what kinds of partnerships it’s looking to build. It also opens up space to tell stories – of people, of projects, and of place. This storytelling dimension was crucial. We know that trust is built not only through data and performance but through emotion and connection.

Of course, none of this would have been meaningful without internal alignment. From the start, we made it a priority to bring trustees, staff, and stakeholders into the process. We ran workshops, hosted feedback sessions, and gave space for people to voice their hopes and hesitations. A rebrand is a big step, especially for an organisation as established as Richmond Foundation. It needed to feel right from the inside out. The most rewarding feedback we received post-launch wasn’t about the colours or the logo – it was the number of people who said, “This feels like us.” That’s the goal. That’s how we know we’ve done our job.

Since the rebrand launched, Richmond Foundation has seen a tangible increase in engagement – more website visits, more funding queries, more social media reach, and stronger recognition in the community. But beyond the metrics, there’s something more important: the brand now reflects the heart of the organisation. It gives the team language and tools to share their vision with confidence. It invites new partners in. It amplifies the work that’s already happening, instead of distracting from it. And it’s flexible enough to evolve as the foundation continues to grow.

This project reminded us of something we hold true in every piece of work we do at Geist*Studio – branding is about trust. It’s about creating the conditions for people to feel safe, seen, and heard. For Richmond Foundation, that meant stripping away anything that felt overly institutional or performative, and building a brand that’s rooted in listening, inclusion, and care. It meant helping a quiet organisation become a little louder – not for its own sake, but for the sake of the communities it exists to support.

As a studio that works with purpose-led organisations, this kind of work is what drives us. It’s where strategy and creativity meet in service of something bigger. Richmond Foundation didn’t just need a new logo – they needed a new way to show up in the world. We were proud to help them find it.