rebrand • Logo • Color Palette • Typography • Visual System • brand Guide • Marketing Assets
Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative Rebrand & Visual Identity
2026 - Project Based Partner
Reinventing the visual identity for the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative was an exercise in connecting community with the great outdoors. What started as a simple request for a light brand refresh quickly evolved into a full rebrand—encompassing a new logo, typography system, brand guide, and custom iconography. The Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI) realized that their mission of connecting communities through accessible trails deserved a more unique identity to carry their momentum.
The logo concept lines echo the flowing Huron River Corridor and the curves of trail maps, while integrating an abstract version of the "HW" from their name.
Central to this transformation was the selection of an "The Adventure Moodboard," a creative direction chosen specifically to align with their mission of trail connectivity and environmental stewardship. This aesthetic captures the spirit of exploration while maintaining the clarity needed to ensure the pathways feel welcoming and accessible to everyone.
The final result is a cohesive, professional identity that reflects both the rugged beauty of the trails and the momentum of the initiative itself. Working with an organization dedicated to the outdoors and community accessibility has been a pleasure.
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Client's Words
"...great to work with for our nonprofit rebrand! Not only were we ahead of schedule with her guidance, she was able to respond quickly to questions and pivots, and helped us along through the design process to better define how we want our branding to represent our work. 10/10 would recommend!"
“Our refreshed brand reflects both where we’ve been and where we’re going - connecting communities and nature through advancing non-motorized trail development.”
Process Steps
A high-level look at the process behind the project.
The Challenge
The primary challenge of this rebrand lay in navigating the expectations of an organization deeply conscious of its perception among constituents, donors, and municipal partners. The new visual identity had to fulfill a demanding matrix of strategic constraints: it needed to maintain a circular silhouette for continuity with the original mark, stand out against typical local navy branding at regional events, and intentionally avoid the generic, predictable green-and-brown palettes common to nature organizations.
The brand architecture had to clearly communicate that HWPI develops, connects, and champions multi-use trails—combating a legacy misconception that it is strictly a cycling path or bike-specific organization.
On a technical level, the logo system required seamless compatibility when placed side-by-side with partner branding like the green and blue Border-to-Border (B2B) Trail logo, while remaining distinct enough to anchor its own separate identity.
Finally, the mark had to perform flawlessly across a sprawling footprint of digital applications, printed collateral, and existing, dark-toned physical trail signage, providing a scalable framework built to support the organization's rapid growth.
MoodBoard Initial Process
Inspired by the spirit of exploration, the "Adventure" moodboard creates a visual bridge between rugged outdoor discovery and the initiative’s commitment to making every trail safe and accessible for the community.
Concept Work
Reviewing initial concepts and client feedback guided the refinement phase, sharpening typography, proportions, and visual hierarchy to align precisely with project goals.
Logo Process Work
While the project began as a request for a light brand refresh with minimal changes, our initial concept explorations revealed the untapped potential for a much deeper visual impact. Seeing the possibilities for a more cohesive identity, the initiative pivoted to a full rebrand that better captured the true scale and ambition of their mission.
Brand Architecture & Design System
To support long-term brand consistency, a comprehensive visual system was developed to govern all brand touchpoints. This included establishing a refined color palette with precise print and digital values, defining custom vector icon sets and secondary graphic elements, and setting strict rules for logo clear space, visual hierarchy, and photo treatment. Outlined within a formal brand guide, these standards ensure every internal asset, external marketing material, and digital application maintains total cohesive integrity as the business scales.
Brand System & Asset Delivery
Upon selecting the final identity, a comprehensive visual system and brand guidelines were created to define logo usage, color palettes, typography, and layout rules. Master vector files were packaged for both print and digital production, complete with web-ready assets, print-accurate color specifications, and custom email signature files to ensure a seamless, cohesive rollout across all brand communications.
