Thriving Wisconsin

Written By Lydia Ravenwood

From fragmented to unified: using design to reflect a statewide network’s leadership and vision.

 
 

The Moment

Thriving Wisconsin (formerly Supporting Families Together Association) is the backbone organization for a network of Child Care Resource & Referral agencies and Family Resource Centers across the state. When they began considering a rebrand, they were facing a familiar challenge:

They had grown. But their brand hadn’t kept up.

Their visual identity didn’t reflect the scope or seriousness of their work. And worse—it wasn’t clear how the organization connected to the member agencies it supported.

There was a perception gap between who they were and how they appeared to funders, partners, and legislators.

A visual survey of the Supporting Families Together Association logo in use

 

The Work

We stepped in to close that gap in perception.

While Badger Creative worked with the SFTA team to select a new name for the organization, Ravenwood Design Group began with a full brand audit—looking closely at what was working, what could be more consistent, and what visual elements were meaningful and distinctive. We conducted a competitive analysis to understand how other organizations in their space were signaling trust, authority, and care.

From there, we developed a new identity system:

  • A brand that aligned with the organization’s goals

  • Visual tools to clarify the relationship between Thriving Wisconsin and its member agencies

  • Templates and design systems the internal team could actually use

This wasn’t just about looking better. It was about being taken seriously at the highest levels—by legislators, funders, statewide collaborators, and the children and families who rely on their services.

Before & After

Partner Agency Co-Branding

The Outcome

  • A confident, cohesive brand identity

  • A flexible system to support visual consistency across the network

  • Tools to help the internal team communicate clearly and professionally

  • A visual voice that matched the seriousness and humanity of their mission

We helped Thriving Wisconsin show up the way they wanted to be seen, making them a more effective advocate for Wisconsin’s children, families, and the resources that support early childhood education.

 

“You’ve helped us develop a brand that our staff and members are proud to be associated with, and that is truly priceless.”

— Heidi Luft, Executive Director, Thriving Wisconsin

 

Special thanks to Joe Lindner of Badger Creative and the Thriving Wisconsin team.

Lydia Ravenwood