Alchemy:
Brand Identity
Sep 2022 - Jan 2024
SERVICES
Brand Strategy
Logo & Identity System
Custom Synthography
Website Design
Messaging & Copy
Social Media Presence
Learning Platform Design
Ad Creative
Marketing Strategy & Ops
Branding community psychedelic therapy
Alchemy Community Therapy Center is a nonprofit bringing ketamine-assisted therapy to underserved communities (BIPOC, low-income, and LGBTQIA+) in Oakland, CA.
Formerly Sage Institute, the organization initiated a renaming process to differentiate from a company with the same name. This presented an opportunity to create a more aligned identity from the ground up. I set out to create a brand system that symbolized the alchemical process of healing trauma, while placing the diverse communities that they serve front-and-center.
The Old Identity
Website
Bland Branding
Dated Design System
Poor Information Hierarchy
Unclear Actions
Social Media
Inconsistent Design
Cluttered Information
Unbranded Styling
Brand Strategy
I started by coaching the organization on a process to find a new name, providing them with tools and frameworks for their decision making process.
Once they landed on Alchemy, I helped them to rewrite their vision and mission statements to be more in line with their unique offerings, as well as new core messaging.
Sage
Alchemy
The New Identity
This project was my first opportunity to use custom synthography (images created with AI, then manually edited) as the basis of a system.
This solved a core brand challenge: to maintain patient privacy, Alchemy can’t show photos of the people they serve. But with tasteful synthography, we are able to convey the organization’s diverse clientele.
A flowing abstract texture (representing the alchemy that clients experience through therapy) is paired with a geometric logo inspired by alchemical symbolism, which itself inspires a set of icons and illustrations.
Social Media
♥
"We could not have done any of this without you. Our staff, board, and members unanimously love our new brand. Thank you so much!"
Irina Alexander
Clinical Director, Alchemy