We met with Sarah Tempest, Co-Founder of Altogether Creative, to ask her about the fantastic work they did in developing the Start Thurrock brand, co-creating with the Thurrock community.
Who are you, when did the brand project start and when did it launch?
Our team, Altogether, are a brand communications studio and we specialise in working with arts, community, heritage, education and not-for-profit organisations. We were appointed in April 2023 to work with Start Thurrock to create a brand identity to represent and promote this exciting new programme.
Our proposal was very much based around co-creation and involving the community, as the Start Thurrock programme will be developed by the community, for the community, it was so important to us to hear what they wanted from the project and the brand.
We’re not the kind of studio that would come up with ideas without input or insight from the audience who would be part of the project. I think that’s what appealed to the project team about working together, that we’d put the community at the heart of our process.
A brand is so much more than a logo, it’s about values and ethos, how people talk about Start Thurrock, as well as everything people see relating to the activity. This presented such an opportunity to help Start Thurrock establish a cohesive, energising and creative voice.
How was the community involved and why was this important?
For residents and community members to embrace the Start Thurrock programme and hopefully get involved with activity in the future, we knew they should be involved in the early stages of the brand creation. We wanted to hear their ideas and views, what makes Thurrock unique, what are they proud of or what might the challenges be?
We held 2 workshops with 10-12 people in each session from across the borough, everyone seemed so pleased to be involved. We had people bring old maps and books about Thurrock too, which was great to see their passion for their borough.
The groups told us they love Thurrock’s green spaces and the mix of industrial heritage with rural landscapes. They talked about a resourceful spirit as well as an inherent grit and resilience in the community. They wanted to see their towns and villages come together and be united through more cultural activity.
‘You can’t put Thurrock in a box’ was a key phrase, people have a sense of freedom, creativity and they’re determined to break down barriers. This was so powerful and real.
What made this brand project special?
The project meant a lot to us and everyone involved, as arts and culture funding is harder and harder to secure, there are only 9 creative people and places projects in the South East, so this was incredible funding to have garnered for the area. Everyone could see the opportunity and were ambitious for the change it could help to create in Thurrock.
For our team, we really wanted to do the community justice and take everything they had told us and pour it into a brand that everyone could rally behind.
How did the brand reflect Thurrock specifically?
With the insight and attributes we learnt from the community, we created a brand narrative capturing what makes Thurrock special as well as building on the name Start. It starts with our roots, it starts with our communities, it starts with our people and it starts with you. This was the basis for 4 short narratives highlighting the ambition and spirit of Thurrock.
The identity was inspired by the unique footprint of the borough, breaking across boundaries to reflect Thurrock’s impact in and beyond the borough – you can’t put Thurrock in a box. The strokes are intentionally gritty and have edge, they’re not perfect or polished, nodding to the sense of resilience running through every group we spoke to. Through the layers of expressive brush strokes, the logo tells the story of the community coming together to strengthen the fabric of Thurrock.
The visual style evolves to use imagery within the strokes as well as layering in the powerful Start messages to bring an active tone to the communications.
In the workshops we learnt that each town and village has its own personality or things they’re particularly proud of. We wanted to reflect this in the brand, so we created individual village logo’s that could be used if the groups wanted to push a particular event in one area. Where possible, imagery was gathered from community groups and local photographers and creatives, aiming to showcase creative talent and gives a sense of community activity.
How was the Start Thurrock consortium involved in developing the brand?
The Start Thurrock consortium were involved throughout, from a detailed briefing session to key milestones in the creative process, they were supportive and ambitious partners. They shared our views about community co-creation, and were a great support to help liaise with community members. They wanted the community to take the lead and helped make it happen.
When presenting different creative routes, the consortium listened and gave considered views to add to the community feedback, ensuring everyone had their say and the opportunity to feed in, helping to make the brand as strong as possible.
Were you pleased with the output?
Our team were thrilled with the outcome, having stayed true to community views we were not only proud of the creative outcome, but of the bonds we forged in the community too. Enthusiasm from the community when we presented the ideas was incredible and to see this energy growing is just the best feeling for our team.
When the brand launched at a community event in summer 2023 it was great to see the brand used as a backdrop, from banners to badges the bold colours of the brand really popped amongst the buzzing outdoor event. It’s been great to see how people are using it to endorse their events or support a new activity.
And have you had any feedback since the launch?
We love a brand reveal. It’s the culmination of months of work for our team so when we can finally show the work on our website or via instagram, it’s always a big moment for us. We’ve had some fantastic feedback from the design community as well as other arts organisations.
Of course what matters most is how effective the brand will be for Start Thurrock, but it’s always a nice pat on the back to receive great feedback.
