Katie Wilhelm

Nokee Kwe Website Design and Brand Strategy

Background

Nokee Kwe means "Working Woman" in Anishinaabemowin. The organization delivers employment, training, and transitional services to Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth and adults in London and the surrounding community. Services are geared to individuals experiencing unemployment or difficulty with career and life transitions.

The agency needed a new method of service delivery. An outdated website was blocking Nokee Kwe's potential. It required a professional look to ensure growth opportunities. The website's goal is for the staff and board to communicate the agency's services to a specific clientele. The key was doing so with a culturally sensitive approach.

I am passionate about the work this organization does. With this in mind, I wanted to create something functional and attractive for the agency. Staff could focus on delivering services while the website and brand would draw in and educate potential clients while also engaging a stronger charitable funding network.

Process

My goal is always to create a sustainable and long-lasting product. Innovation in service delivery for Nokee Kwe started with a website rebrand.

Input from staff, board members, and volunteers drove the creation of an extensive website strategy and action plan. This plan included copywriting and editing, content creation, and image sourcing. It also powered the development of an e-commerce store, social media marketing, and an advertising campaign. 

Through the interview analysis, I uncovered that Nokee Kwe's culturally focused approach is also one of its unique value propositions. With this in mind, I focused on invoking feelings of calm using soft colours of sage and salmon. I also used a therapeutic angle with imagery to develop the brand. The flow of the content also had to show Nokee Kwe's distinctive approach to clients.

I was fortunate to have an RGD student mentee join me on this project. They brought their thoughtfulness and emphasis on creating a gender-inclusive brand. Nokee Kwe was impressed with the student's work, and the agency hired them to place elements of the brand design. Included in this were the branding guide and further amplification on social media. 

Solution and Results

I redeveloped the website content for SEO and Indigenous cultural relevancy. I organized the content into an easy-to-navigate design. This increased the ease of page navigation for potential clients.

I created new ways to engage potential participants as well as organizational funders. This was achieved through transitioning the agency's service delivery to a virtual platform. The website is a 14-page online portal that includes all content and assets developed on the Squarespace platform.

Within six months, Nokee Kwe has experienced an increase in new clients through the website. The agency has seen a significant jump in the number of donations since the website’s launch. Client numbers have remained steady throughout the pandemic. Nokee Kwe was able to hit targets and remain eligible for funding. It also received larger grants to deliver more complex and useful services to a growing number of clients. The agency has also established strong partnerships. One such connection has been with global code education giant, RoboGarden Inc.. 

This project was featured by The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) in September 2021.