Homer Creative have worked with Birmingham Voluntary Service Council for over ten years, designing reports, newsletters, web sites and developing individual project brands.

In 2005 they asked us to re-brand the whole organisation and provide a guideline structure that would include some already existing brands. The brief reflected their shift from project-based work to a more strategic approach, with a new organisational structure. They wanted to become more public facing and to open up their building.

A consultation process was initiated with senior management and other staff that led to a decision to focus on the initial letters of the name, the form that most people in Birmingham know and use. To replace the full name in the identity, a byline, "The Centre for Voluntary Action", was developed which encompasses both the work of BVSC and the new emphasis on the building. It also ensured that BVSC's position in the voluntary sector was highlighted.

A list of key descriptors was developed to guide the design of the new identity. Rather than try to produce a visual that encompassed BVSC's whole range of work we worked with the descriptors and designed an identity that would synthesise elements of all of them. This led us to a solution in which the logo and letters are integrated in an organic form that hints at elements of movement, engagement and sustainability.

In October 2005 BVSC held an open day to celebrate Citizens' Day, where their new corporate identity was unveiled. The day featured live music, storytelling, community drama and the opportunity for members of the public to sign up for voluntary work. Homer played an integral part in helping to plan the shape of the day: suggesting, locating and booking performers and authors to animate the space. We also ran two workshops on the day - one with school children centred around stories and storytelling, the other a photography workshop with A Level students from Joseph Chamberlain College.

To encourage staff to get involved in Citizens' Day and to maximise their input we ran and chaired a staff group to gather ideas and get feedback.

We also provided advice and support on the interim refurbishing of 138 Digbeth. BVSC wanted to improve its look and accessibility without spending too much money or doing things that would have to be redone later during a planned full refurbishment. We assessed the building to define the areas that would be designated as open to the public and suggested some simple but effective solutions including removing non-structural partitions and a more consistent and stylish colour scheme.

In 2009 we started a brand review process with BVSC to help define what they do from a customer and user perspective. Brian Carr the Chief Executive of BVSC commented: "Thanks for guiding us through the branding maze!"

We have worked closely with the senior management team since then to create the Annual Review using some of the insights developed during the brand review. This repositioned the document to be more strategic and with a clearer focus on achievements and progress.

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