Breakthrough X Simon Arnoldi- The Power of Collaboration

Gather Round is home to a supportive community of creative professionals. From graphic designers to writers, illustrators to web developers, there’s freelancers aplenty so cross-discipline collaboration is commonplace.

Here at Gather Round, we’re lucky to have  created a community where our members make strong connections with one another. Whether that’s over a cup of Triple Co Roast coffee on the sofas or catching up at one of our in-house member events. Since we opened our first space in the Cigar Factory, Southville, we’ve seen creative collaborations blossom across many disciplines. From photographer Nic Kane launching Duo Hue with a bank of banging photography to Fiasco Design masterminding a dreamy website for Twelve.

This week we dive deep into the process behind the latest successful collaboration between Gather Round members Kat Sladden and Simon Arnoldi.

Part-Time Flexi and Resi members Kat Sladden and Simon Arnoldi of Brunswick Sq have recently come together to create an identity and website for Kat’s start-up ‘Breakthrough’. The UK’s first social impact accelerator with a mission to transform the impact of grassroots campaigning.

Born from the need to support grassroots organisations amidst a seemingly turbo-charged bout of social activism across the world, Kat knew she wanted striking branding that reflected the social movements Breakthrough would be supporting.

The Brief

Breakthrough had a strong name and Kat had a vision for the brand but they were in need of a website. Enter Simon.  As a new business, and without a bank of images to rely on, Simon got to work on gathering inspiration from activists and movements for social justice. This impactful branding would ensure they wouldn’t look like another charity website. Breakthrough is bold; their website has to be too.

The Design 

Simon’s brief was to create something with impact and substance, mirroring the work that Breakthrough does. The identity took strong reference from archival protest typography and personalised, handmade signage. Using Franklin Gothic, either in black type on colour or white on black, creating a brand that centred around confident leading statements and powerful propositions. This, combined with hand-drawn illustrations, brought the unique and creative spirit of mass gatherings and protests into the design for Breakthrough.

The Method 

Kat and Simon spent the past couple of months storyboarding ideas, tweaking designs and refining the message of Breakthrough. Whether it’s a quick chat in a comfy breakout space or a private place to get down to the nitty gritty, the spaces in Gather Round, Brunswick Sq have made the whole process easy and smooth.

The beauty of a co-working space is that creative collaboration is easier than ever.

What’s next?

The website is live and looking stunning!

Simon is currently finishing up some brand and digital media work for an independent film studio. With a new project on the horizon, he’s creating some thought-provoking branding for an agency on a mission to produce progressive, world change in business leaders.

Breakthrough’s pilot programmes have seen them work with incredible groups such as : #HandsOffOurVote that work with young people working to protect voting rights and the Coventry Youth Activists, a group of young disabled people who are campaigning for better protections for disabled people on social media. Now they’re live, they’re growing their programmes, launching a campaigns training programme and their next social impact accelerator later this year. Watch this space!

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