Work.
I’ve got over 20 years’ experience of creating purposeful brands.
Here’s a handful of highlights.
If you’d like to hear about a particular project, just let me know.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
As an independent brand strategist, I am lucky to get to pick and choose who I partner with creatively to get the best from a brand positioning strategy and creative brief. But I also have the pleasure of matchmaking, by helping clients to find the right creative partner.
I was honoured to help Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity find the talented Creative Director Stuart Gough for their brand refresh.
“Dan helped us facilitate a pitch process to find the right partner to create our visual identity and tone of voice. From helping us agree a shortlist and the selection criteria, to facilitating chemistry meetings and pitches.
Dan’s knowledge of the charity and design sectors make the process smoother and led us to a partner we simply wouldn’t have found without him.
Dan’s expertise of brand strategy and development is unrivalled in the sector and beyond, and I would strongly recommend anyone talking to Dan and getting his wisdom and advice before embarking on any brand project.”
Emma Guise, Director of Marketing & Communications,
Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity
Fauna & Flora
Saving nature together
What greater purpose than to put my brand expertise towards saving the planet.
Established over a century ago, Fauna & Flora is the world’s oldest nature conservation charity. The charity has a successful track record of renowned conservation programmes, many of which are cited as best practice.
Sir David Attenborough has been the charity’s vice president since 1979 and the Prince of Wales is the current patron; both share a passion for protecting the natural environment for future generations.
Whilst well-known and respected amongst professionals and philanthropists, the charity wanted to inspire public support as more people wake up to the enormity of the planet’s environmental crisis.
Fauna & Flora are pioneers of putting conservation in local hands, so it was important to highlight how the charity supports, sustains and strengthens nature conservation action around the world. Working closely alongside local partners to save nature together and using their collective expertise to inspire positive change globally.
A new shared purpose to ‘protect the diversity of life on Earth, for the survival of the planet and its people’, summarised by the strapline “saving nature together”, accompanies the shortened name Fauna & Flora.
The brand personality is Nature’s Champions, a global team saving nature together, with hope and a can-do spirit. This brand positioning looks to buck the trend for shock-tactics and the doom and gloom messaging of environmental issues.
Partnership is critical if we are to navigate our way through and out of the climate crisis. With this notion at the heart of the brand strategy, the identity places the ampersand within the name right at the heart of the design system, created by Studio Texture.
The logo brings elements of fauna and flora together in a distinct way, this idea then carries across the visual and verbal identity of the brand. Its simplicity gives enormous flexibility to communicate with clarity and cohesion.
“Dan combined his love and energy for brands with his passion for the natural world when approaching the work to transform the Fauna & Flora brand. He is able to hold both respect and consideration of the organisation’s history alongside a determination to drive forward, be bold and dare to be different. He brought a wealth of charity brand experience to his work, while fully immersing himself in who we are as an organisation and what makes us different. Our brand feels very safe in Dan’s hands.”
Jonny Wright, Senior Director of Communications & Fundraising, Fauna & Flora
Read the brand development story here or visit the Studio Texture case study here.
Big Give
Generosity multiplier
The Big Give was founded by the businessman and philanthropist Sir Alec Reed in 2007. Since then, it has raised hundreds of millions of pounds for good causes through match funding campaigns, by connecting charities with the public and funders.
But, over time, the brand had lost its appeal and appeared dated and deflated. It no longer reflected the significant impact it sought to make in the world through the thousands of charities it supports.
The new brand strategy positions itself around the idea of ‘Generosity Multiplier’. Because the Big Give creates positive change in the world by connecting people, organisations and charities through match funding campaigns, it quite literally multiplies the impact of our generosity.
This single-minded brand idea of ‘Generosity Multiplier’ immediately inspired multiple visual ideas.
Creative partner Studio Texture began experimenting with repetition and duplication. Doubling up and maximising. Then we struck upon the idea of kaleidoscopes. This fitted perfectly. Kaleidoscopes have multiplicity at their heart. They felt exuberant. Mesmerising. And importantly, attention-grabbing and distinctive.
Income from the flagship Christmas Challenge match giving campaign went up by 85% from £24.1 million before the rebrand in 2021 to £44.7m in 2024.
“People talk of design being a craft, but that craft is misplaced if the strategic foundations are all on the wonk. A well-crafted strategy underpins all effective creative work. This is Dan's special move. Using his skills to deliver strategy which gives design momentum, with the added reassurance you're on solid ground. It's why we love working with him and why the work we create together, works so well.”
Stuart Youngs, Creative Director and Founder, Studio Texture
Find out more about how the brand strategy and creativity united here, or visit the full case study at Studio Texture here.
Third Sector Award Highly Commended
Kids
Disabled children say we can
Kids is a charity that creates life-changing opportunities and speaks up with children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, young carers and families. The charity had a new corporate strategy and so needed a new brand to match.
It was very clear, people wanted the brand to focus on what children and young people can do, not what they can’t do. People also wanted the brand to celebrate individuality.
We found out that the word “disabled” was very divisive. Whilst for some people it is a proud part of their identity and helpful in claiming rights, others do not like or want to use it. We have therefore used the words “disabled children” sparingly as a shorthand, within the strapline and proposition only.
The cross-sector market analysis showed the brand can stand out by projecting its innovative side, so we drew inspiration from brands like Disney and Lego. Kids can also stand out by dialling up the volume on their campaigning side, uniting their community and amplifying authentic voices to achieve social change.
Kids new personality is an Opportunity Creator. This is brought to life with four new values which guide the brand on the inside and outside: Celebrate Individuality, Think Creatively, Work Together and Speak Up.
A new purpose and proposition sit at the heart of the brand strategy: When the world says we can’t, kids say we can.
A brand story has been carefully crafted with a reading age of 11, using children and young people’s preference for shorter sentence and paragraph structure.
The logo is made up of the brand name Kids in a unique flag symbol which mirrors the ‘kicking K’ for Kids and is accompanied by a shorthand “K” icon for social media.
The typeface Poppins has been chosen for its accessibility but adapted to make it unique to Kids. The colour palette has also been carefully crafted with accessibility front of mind, from hot pink to bubble-gum.
One of the most distinctive features are graphic devices called “sunbursts”, made up from children’s artwork. They allow creativity and individuality to radiate throughout the brand identity.
There is no doubt that when combined the visual identity and tone of voice create a distinctive brand full of energy.
“Dan engaged, inspired, and excited key stakeholders every step of the way. Co-creation with disabled children and young people was essential, and Dan enabled meaningful participation. The result has captured the heart and soul of Kids. The brand gives us exactly what we need to deliver real and positive change.”
Claire Coussins, Director of Fundraising and Engagement, Kids
Read the brand development story here, and the Red Stone case study here.
Third Sector Award Highly Commended
Muscular Dystrophy UK
Our muscles matter
Muscles. We use them to move. Walk, eat, smile, cry. Pump blood around our bodies. To breathe in and out. Muscles keep our bodies fit and healthy, so we can do everything we want to. Our muscles matter.
Living with a muscle wasting and weakening condition can be exhausting, stressful and lonely. That’s why, for over 60 years, Muscular Dystrophy UK have been building their community. They are the leading charity for over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions. Connecting more than 110,000 people personally affected, and all those around them.
I led a collaborative brand development process, alongside a new corporate strategy. The main objective was to build upon Muscular Dystrophy UK’s community to make it a more unifying brand idea.
In this case, we found that the brand tended to jump straight into explaining ‘what’ it does, without explaining ‘why’ it exists. We know that explaining ‘why’ can help to build empathy and consideration to support, and so it was important to add why our muscles matter.
A new purpose focusses on feeling good, mentally and physically. The brand personality became The Real and Human, Strong Community. A Real and Human Challenger Brand is one that puts people at its heart. The Strong Community reflects strength in numbers. This is brought to life with one set of values which guide the brand on the inside and the brand on the outside: Here For You, Stronger Together, Forward Thinking and Never Stop.
Following approval of the brand strategy, a new visual identity was created in a ‘Design Sprint’ led by Clare Wilson Creative. Graphic patterns inspired by microscopic images of muscle fibres, bring a unique and unifying ingredient to the visual identity. They mean muscles can literally run throughout the branding, demonstrating the community’s collective strength visually.
“Dan hasn’t just connected with the charity mission. He has also connected with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure their active involvement in the process. He really listens to who you are, so that he can work from a place of deep understanding to clearly articulate your brand positioning strategy. The level of expertise he brings means that nothing gets lost or overlooked. You can feel confident you’re in very safe hands, and that your brand will emerge stronger and more impactful than ever.”
Rob Burley, Director of Communications, Care & Support
Penny Brohn UK
Cancer wellbeing for everyone
This story began in 1979 with a pioneering woman named Penny Brohn.
Penny believed we need more than medicine to live well with cancer. We also need care for our mind, emotions, spirit, heart and soul. That idea was way ahead of its time. But most of us now recognise the importance of good health and wellbeing to prevention and resilience.
Today, doctors, nutritionists, counsellors and therapists at Penny Brohn UK provide high-quality personalised cancer care people can choose from, and champion its positive impact so more people can benefit. Through psychological, nutritional, lifestyle and complementary therapies, they inspire people with cancer to embrace their health and wellbeing for a renewed sense of hope and control.
The charity had some challenging misconceptions to overcome. Because their philosophy was ahead of its time, they had a reputation for being “woo, woo” or were known as the “hippies on the hill” in Bristol.
Their old branding also gave the impression the charity was predominantly for white middle class women and only for breast cancer, so a focus on achieving greater equality, diversity and inclusion was essential.
Market analysis identified a brilliant opportunity to embrace the wellbeing boom which has spread across sectors but hasn’t been well adopted by charities – yet.
Collaborative workshops with cancer patients identified the need to retain the joy of life, however hard things get. There is a path of inspirational quotes that winds its way through the beautiful gardens of the charity’s treatment centre, many of which focus on the hope and the joy of life.
There is no doubt that cancer is an emotional rollercoaster with a rush of emotions, thoughts and feelings. But there can also be hope. Hope that grows when people with cancer feel stronger, physically and emotionally.
A new purpose focusses on helping people feel in better control of health and wellbeing through cancer. The brand strategy positions the charity as Cancer Wellbeing Champions, brought to life by the values Ambitious for the future, Open to everyone, Stronger together and Finding the joy.
The symbol within the new logo is made up of the initials of the founder. By simply rotating the “P” and “B” a sun is exposed through the clouds, the perfect representation of “Finding the joy”. The symbol is used as a unifying graphic device throughout the visual identity, created by Red Stone.
"Penny Brohn UK was delighted to work with Dan and benefitted greatly from his expertise of charity branding. In particular, Dan was able to understand our complex offering and turn it into a clear, coherent and engaging brand strategy".
Beth French, Head of Brand, Marketing and Influencing, Penny Brohn UK
Read the brand development story here and the Red Stone case study here.
ShelterBox
Foundations for life
Every day, homes are torn apart by disaster, conflict and climate catastrophe. Right now, this is the reality for over 100 million people. Their lives destroyed. Futures, uncertain.
ShelterBox was started with entrepreneurial spirit, around the Millenium, in my native Cornwall. Hand packing and delivering emergency shelter and aid essentials in iconic green shelter boxes.
Today, they do much more. Hence the need to refresh the brand beyond the box integral to its name and logo.
Working together with Studio Texture, we positioned ShelterBox as a global movement that believes shelter is a human right. United by a shared purpose – no one without shelter after disaster.
The new brand strategy establishes ShelterBox as undisputed Humanitarian Emergency Shelter Experts. A new brand proposition captures the charity’s essence brand and expands people’s perceptions. Because shelter is the ‘Foundation for Life’. A foundation for survival, stability and dignity. Enabling people to take steps towards recovery.
“It’s been a pleasure working with Dan and the team at Studio Texture. Together we’ve brought to life our new strategy in a compelling brand story which will supercharge our work for years to come.”
Danny Whear, Global Head of Brand & Content, ShelterBox
Rightmove
Find your happy
Rightmove is one of my favourite projects from my years at The Team, working alongside Creative Director Clare Wilson.
Rightmove had an existing proposition, “find your happy”, but were unhappy with the way it had been brought to life and had no consistency across channels, from offline marketing communications to the online customer experience.
I started by selling in the benefits of having a clear purpose and creating brands with human emotions, clarifying their purpose and personality, which inspired the visual identity and tone of voice.
Inspired by the proverb “home is where the heart is”, we realised the new symbol could tell the brand story with a simple rotation.
The refreshed brand was rolled out across all touchpoints and boosted profits by 10% within a year, with a record number of estate agent listings.
See the full case study here
“Rarely have I seen a brand strategist who offers not just brilliant insight but also has a genuine passion for the creative approach. This is Dan’s secret weapon. Dan’s ability to turn Rightmove’s fragmented brand into a more emotive brand and bring it to life with the well-known proverb ‘home is where the heart is’ helped us unlock the truth of the proposition. From this moment, everything fell into place. Rightmove is the perfect example of strategy and creative working in harmony throughout the entire journey. The result is inspirational, creative and truly magical.”
Clare Wilson, Creative Director
RNID
Make life more inclusive
Reintroducing RNID to the charity sector as a heritage brand, has been my first big project since going independent. I led the brand positioning alongside corporate strategy development to define the new purpose: Together, we’ll make life fully inclusive for deaf people and those with hearing loss or tinnitus.
I also supported the charity to find the right creative partner in Someone London, and provided counsel during the design development, leading the tone of voice creation. Both of which are a celebration of diversity and unity. The power of people from different walks of life to come together for positive change.
The brand positioning drew inspiration from the brands championing diversity, inclusivity and accessibility outside the charity sector. From Microsoft’s Change the Game, IKEA’s This Ables, Wavio’s See Sound and Google’s Creatability. As well as Valuable 500, the global community revolutionising diversity in business, whose founder Carole Casey said: “We urgently need to move the needle of social inclusion”.
“Connectivity” has become one of the most powerful words in today’s world. Especially in-light of the global Covid-19 pandemic. With video conferencing and voice-enabled technology, we can connect with people more easily, wherever they are. But people who are deaf or with hearing loss or tinnitus shouldn’t be excluded.
“Dan’s energy and passion for brand comes through in everything he does. It’s been an amazing experience to rebrand with him as our strategist. He has the knowledge to guide you through the process and brings in talent and contacts that you never knew you needed. Always on your side and fully invested in your charity.”
Cheryl Hughes, Head of Brand, RNID
Find out more about the RNID brand journey here, or visit SomeOne, Design Week or Creative Review.
Third Sector Award Nominated
Mind
For support. For respect. For you.
I have been fortunate to work on the Mind brand twice, which means a lot to me, as the defining cause of my generation.
On their first brand refresh in 2011, when I was at Good Agency. One of the first joint brand and fundraising briefs. Then more recently on their next brand evolution, launching in Spring 2021.
The brand refresh was a huge success. Lasting a decade the results are tremendous:
Mind established itself as the undisputed market leader for mental health.
Spontaneous awareness is remarkably high, second only to charity sector market leaders Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research UK.
A strong brand profile translated into increased voluntary income, nearly two and a half times higher than a decade ago.
The good news is that progress has been made. Stigma has decreased. Awareness and understanding are higher. People are more prepared to talk about their mental health problems. But there is still so much to do.
Fast forward ten years and so much has changed. More people are suffering from mental health problems than ever before. We are facing an unprecedented mental health crisis, with some communities worse affected than others.
Second time around I have helped Mind navigate their latest brand refresh. Being on hand to guide their brand team step by step. Working with staff and trustees to agree a shift in brand positioning. From a classic support-based charity brand to a proactive and inclusive one. Uniting people with an urgent new purpose for better mental health for everyone. As well as facilitating the pitch process for a lead creative partner, to bring the best in global design to the UK charity sector with Design Studio.
One of the biggest creative challenges was how to represent a cause that is largely invisible. The solution is the addition of ‘super squiggles’. Celebrating the iconic squiggle within the logo and setting it free as a super-graphic adds dynamism and fighting spirit to the Mind brand for the next generation.
It shows that mental health and Mind are all around us. In every community. To support each other when times get tough. To come together to save the mental health of the nation.
So for everybody who has ever experienced a mental health problem, this brand project is yours. For support. For respect. For you.
“Dan is a fantastic support to the Mind brand team. He understands us and shares our passion and ambition to take our brand to new heights. There have been many times I could have given up or diluted what we are trying to do but he is that constant reminder that we can do it – and even makes it all look easy.”
Annabel Davis, Head of Communications and Marketing, Mind
Find out more about Mind’s brand journey here, or visit Design Studio, Design Week or
Creative Review.
Third Sector Award Nominated
Cruse Bereavement Support
You’re not alone
Before the Covid-19 pandemic, I embarked on a brand development journey with the charity Cruse Bereavement Care, together with brand and creative agency Red Stone. Little did we know what was around the corner.
We had initially arrived at a lovely brand idea around Living with Loss. Based on the human insight that grieving is not a linear process or something we should get over, but something we need to learn to live with. We all experience grief in different ways and that’s OK.
When the pandemic hit, the strategy had to pivot. As the country faced grief on an unprecedented scale, what became most important was creating a brand that was truly inclusive.
A brand with equality, diversity and inclusion at its heart. For people of all ages, from all walks of life. A brand that could convey You’re Not Alone. That Cruse is here for everyone experiencing grief.
Whilst exploring naming, we found that the word ‘care’ gave the wrong impression. The name Cruse has over 60 years of equity and is well loved by volunteers, so to move away from it presented a risk. We therefore changed the name to Cruse Bereavement Support.
Driven by new values of Kind, Genuine, Inclusive and Ambitious, Red Stone created a highly inclusive visual identity. It was important that the identity had a human touch, and so a logotype was created using a handwritten font aptly called Better Times.
One of my favourite parts is a series of abstract shapes. They convey the idea that we experience different emotions, thoughts and feelings through bereavement. There is no linear process, or one size fits all solution. Everybody is different and entitled to support.
It has been an honour to play my part in refreshing a brand at such a poignant point of its history. To help more people through one of the most painful times of life.
"We now have a brand that everyone in Cruse can feel proud of. A brand that everyone had an opportunity to feed in to. And a brand that will leave a legacy of supporting and reaching more grieving people than ever before."
Steven Wibberley, Chief Executive
Find out more about Cruse’s brand journey here or visit Red Stone
Scope
Disability gamechangers
During my second stint at The Team, I led the award-winning 2018 rebrand of Scope into Disability Gamechangers.
Whilst Scope had high awareness, driven by its retail presence, it suffered from a lack of understanding. People struggled to place its role in modern day life and often only associated it with helping children with cerebral palsy.
There are in fact 14 million disabled people in the UK. That’s one in five of us. And Scope exists to achieve everyday equality for them all.
Using social discourse, brand archetypes and challenger brand narratives, we identified an opportunity to disrupt the disability charity sector with a new brand strategy and story focussed on achieving social change. The brand idea of Disability Gamechangers was born.
Whilst other social movements had clear language such as racial discrimination, LGBT rights, gender parity and marriage equality, disability was missing a clear definition as a cause. This insight led to the brand idea of Disability Equality, which remains a core part the brand positioning. An idea which has entered popular culture by hitting the BBC homepage.
“As a strategist, Dan is able to get under the skin of an organisation, and really connect with its purpose and people to drive the direction it needs to go. Working with Dan was like having a chauffeur. He always knows the right direction to go in, can easily navigate obstacles along the way, and most of all, makes it a fun and enjoyable experience”.
Danielle Wootton, formerly Head of Marketing, Scope
Third Sector Excellence Award Winner
Find out more on Scope’s rebrand journey here
Parkinson’s UK
Change attitudes. Find a cure. Join us
Parkinson’s UK is one of my historical greatest hits with The Team for its success. A groundbreaking brand that lasted 15 years from 2010 to 2025.
When we started working with the charity “brand” was a dirty word. Staff and volunteers didn’t understand why they needed a brand, and they were unclear what the charity stood for. The old name, Parkinson’s Disease Society, was off-putting.
We embarked on a root and branch overhaul, involving everyone in the brand development journey to create a brand they could all be part of, with a strong sense of pride, purpose and commitment.
It was the first brand in the sector brave enough to use the word ‘cure’, one of the first to adopt the attributes of a social movement and draw inspiration from protest graphics. The main graphic device was the Parkinson’s UK stencil font, which gave people the means to have their say.
The results speak for themselves: Income surpassed all expectations for their five-year growth plan, to raise more than £122 million.
Design Effectiveness Award Winner
“Dan wasted no time in getting to know us again as we embarked on a brand refresh – ten years after his initial work with us. His fresh perspective, collaborative working and sector wide view, allowed him to identify unique brand territories that felt true to our future ambitions. His work super-charged our focus, which aligns with our business strategy and has been a springboard for enhanced brand engagement both internally and externally”.
Zohra Vermani, Head of Brand, Marketing and Content, Parkinson’s UK
Find out more on Parkinson UK’s industry changing rebrand here
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Every now and then you meet someone who really knows their stuff. They have been doing it for a while but not got lazy. They have a proven track record but don’t rest on their laurels. Their enthusiasm hasn’t been dampened. Their portfolio is hit after hit and they have an extensive network of people who think they rock as much as you do. Those people are rare. Super rare. But when you find one. You want to work with them all the time”.
Simon Manchipp, Executive Strategic Creative Director and Founder, SomeOne.