Designer Delivers for Royal Mail Charity

The rebrand designed for Rowland Hill Fund, the charity of Royal Mail

A York-based graphic designer has secured and delivered new branding for The Rowland Hill Fund – the national Royal Mail charity which supports postal workers in times of need.
Grace Abell of Abell Design who runs her business from her studio on Heslington Road was approached by the not-for-profit organisation after they became aware of her work from previous Abell Design clients, including National Geographic Traveller, University of York, and Oxford’s Story Museum.

Grace says “I started Abell Design six years ago working with independent businesses. I aspired to work with great brands, however expected they would be unattainable as larger organisations often hire multi-disciplinary agencies over independent creatives. Over the last two years, I have seen a shift in bigger names partnering with freelancers like myself. Creating user-friendly, trustworthy brands guarantees my clients will profit for years after their initial investment. Working with The Rowland Hill Fund has been a dream come true and I am looking forward to seeing how the charity blossoms throughout 2021.”

The Rowland Hill Fund is Royal Mail’s charity, providing financial support for postal workers through difficult times. The London-based charity worked with York designer Grace Abell on its rebrand.

A new logo, strapline, colour palette and charity icon were created. While operating independently of Royal Mail, the rebrand needed to retain a visual relationship between the two organisations. To do this, Grace used the Royal Mail’s font and its world-famous bright red as the basis of her work.

Finally, an icon which communicated the Fund’s offering was designed. Including the iconic red pillar box was non-negotiable. Grace’s passion for quality technical drawing was put to work, and this icon was crafted using only two continuous lines.

Fund Manager Grace Owen commented “The Rowland Hill Fund was delighted to work with Abell Design to update our branding. As the charity for postal people, we support hundreds of frontline workers every year. It’s vital we communicate effectively, to encourage both new beneficiaries and donors. Our new branding is perfect for both audiences, and we hope to increase our donations in 2021.”

Grace ends “Despite the ongoing pandemic, I have been able to keep operating despite my husband and I having to initially juggle parenting when the nurseries were closed during the first lockdown. My aim during 2021 is to continue focusing on brand and communication design, I have a few irons in the fire for the new year, so I am hoping to work with a few more household names as well as independent businesses across York and Yorkshire.”

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