Women's College Hospital Foundation
Women for Women's Event Proposal
I
Company Overview
Castlefield is a boutique Black-woman-owned branding and design studio in Toronto with clients worldwide, ranging from small startups to internationally-known brands in industries from fashion to sports to finance. Founder, Creative Director, and Designer Sophie Taylor has 18 years of client experience, an excellent eye for design, and a passion for creating brands that blend function and art to tell stories through print, digital, and products (learn more about Sophie here). The Castlefield team is composed of women from different parts of the world, whose cultures and diverse backgrounds give them unique perspectives and shape their creativity. When you work with Castlefield, you can rest assured that you are working with a team of talented, genuine people who bring their vision and expertise to every project.
Castlefield’s values are:
- Integrity
- Excellence
- Diversity
- Authenticity
- Beauty
- Passion
- Connection
- Creativity
- Philanthropy
- Curiosity
- Purpose
- Knowledge
These values are a very important part of the Castlefield brand (and align with Sophie’s personal values), and we are fortunate to work with people who share these — or have similar — values.
II
Understanding Project Needs, My Design Philosophy, Approach
To me, design is about beauty, function, connection, and purpose. My goal is to create work that communicates and tells the client’s story through aesthetically-pleasing visuals that make their ideal audience feel seen, welcomed, and interested in learning more about them. I apply my particular set of skills and talents to help others (ideally, I’m helping others help others).
When creating the visual identity for the Women for Women’s event, an in-depth conversation about the project would be the first step, followed by research. While I have a solid understanding of what Women’s College Hospital (and its Foundation) offers, as well as its goals and its impact (past, present, and future), going deeper into its history and the history of the event itself, and learning more about what the team at Women’s is envisioning for the event, would of course be a very important part of the process.
From there, I would be able to begin the design process, establishing a design direction and creating graphics and other elements that can easily be applied to other parts of the project to create a cohesive look and feel across all touchpoints, before, during, and potentially after the event.
III
Why I Would Like to Work on This Project
I’ve had the privilege of working on a wide variety of interesting projects in my career, but my favorites are ones where I get to create designs for brands/companies that are helping others in an especially meaningful way. When I received Jordana’s email, I was excited at the prospect of getting to design for Women’s College Hospital Foundation because of the great things I’ve heard about the hospital. Great healthcare has, of course, always been important to me, but my personal experiences these past two years being each of my parents’ caregiver as they passed away have deepened my appreciation for the organizations that are in place, the resources that are available, and the people who have devoted their lives to providing care and comfort to those who are in need — as well as to their loved ones.
While I have had almost exclusively positive experiences with healthcare, I am acutely aware of the inequities, assumptions, and various barriers that are overwhelmingly present and prevent women and people from marginalized communities — especially BIWOC and LGBTQ2+ — from receiving the quality of care they should be receiving. I’ve seen the statistics, and I’ve seen it in many of my friends’ frustrating and demoralizing experiences trying to find a great doctor or get a diagnosis. I am encouraged by places like Women’s College Hospital, with its long history of groundbreaking achievements; embracing of intersectionality; focus on research and innovation; and a diverse team with a Black woman at its helm. The future looks much brighter for those who have been overlooked and underserved.
Designing for an impactful event like Women for Women’s is always a pleasure. Social good and helping others is important to me, and knowing that I, through my work, was even a small part of helping the hospital reach its goals and provide excellent healthcare — like my parents received — to more people would be very fulfilling.
IV
Similar Projects & References
I selected these 5 clients because their projects had a multitude of both print (stationery, signage, merchandise) and digital (social, web, presentations, video) elements; these are all brands that help others; and they have similarities to the Women for Women’s project. While I have a great relationship with each of these clients (they are all repeat/continuing clients), I was unfortunately only able to get ahold of the first three to confirm that they would be a reference for me. (See more testimonials here).
What they do: How She Hustles amplifies and connects Canada’s diverse women through events and consulting.
What we did: Branding, marketing graphics, posters, letterhead, social media graphics, website, presentations, graphics for video.
How we did: “Working with Sophie has been a 5-star experience from the start! Her friendly and calm demeanor sets a great tone for a productive working relationship – and she stays true to that vibe even under pressure. Her work is always on time, clean and professionally organized – a huge asset for any client. She has delivered exceptional results for my brand, How She Hustles, including digital and print graphics, for special events and national campaigns. I’m excited to keep working with Sophie in the future and would encourage you to explore her services.”
Contact: Emily Mills, 416.894.6636
What they do: CLAIRE is a digital health startup reimagining the way pre-prenatal women conceive.
What we did: Rebrand (in progress), pitch deck, executive summary, one-pager, social media graphics, current website, merchandise, illustrations.
How we did: “As a brand and creative strategist, I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most innovative brand specialists and visual designers in Los Angeles and San Francisco… Castlefield is… for businesses that take their brand presence seriously and understand the importance of making a statement before you’ve said a word. As a woman’s brand in a somewhat saturated space, making certain my company feels fresh and different is the primary charge we have aside from the actual value in our product. I never doubt that Castlefield profoundly understands this and ‘gets’ my company’s needs.”
Contact: Ashleigh Brown, 310.242.0003
What they do: Shelley Cares positively impacts their community by confronting poverty and hunger and feeding nutritional meals to men, women, and children in need.
What we did: Branding and sponsorship package for fundraising gala, social media graphics.
How we did: “Sophie is an incredibly talented and creative graphic and web designer, she has an innate ability to convey core messages with compelling, attention-grabbing design.”
Contact: Michelle Berry, 416.948.5723
What they do: Honey Jam is a non-profit multicultural musical artist development programme providing mentoring, educational, vocal coaching, performance, and networking opportunities.
What we did: Marketing graphics and ads, website and social media graphics, posters, concert programs, billboards (in Dundas Square and at TIFF), step and repeats, and digital wallpaper.
How we did: “Thanks so much for your great and quick work and your grace under pressure and positive sunny attitude. It’s been a pleasure!”
Contact: Ebonnie Rowe
What they do: KR Agency scales eCommerce brands to 7, 8, and 9 figures.
What we did: Layout design and illustrations for a deck and presentation, one-pager, and social media graphics.
Contact: Kai Ravariere
V
Quote
Package 1: $10,000
Includes:
2 design direction options
Visual identity design
Design elements
Brand guide
Revisions:
3 Revisions
Package 2: $12,000
Includes:
3 design direction options
Visual identity design
Design elements
Brand guide
Revisions:
3 Revisions
Package 3: $15,000
Includes:
3 design direction options
Visual identity design
Design elements
Brand guide
Revisions:
Unlimited
Additional Work: $100/hour
Additional work beyond the initial scope of this project will be charged at the hourly rate above.
Prices are for creative direction and design services (and sourcing stock imagery, if needed) and do not include purchasing stock or fonts, printing, or production costs.
VI
Final Notes
Thank you for your consideration! I hope that we can work together on this project.
