A Fight to Save Veterans’ Lives

CLIENT / HEADSTRONG

There is an epidemic of mental health crises among veterans in the U.S. Each day, 20 will take their own lives, and a culture of hiding pain and minimizing struggle prevents many veterans from seeking help.

Headstrong came to us to find a way to fit in—and overcome—that. A nonprofit that provides free mental health services to vets, they entrusted us to rebuild their brand and digital presence from the ground up with a new mission: to change the culture around mental health, and reach vets in a more real way so they could get the help they deserve.

Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt

BUILT ON HONOR

We began by reimagining mental health support as an accomplishment: and an active way for veterans to protect themselves. Using the shape of a shield that referenced military badging, we designed a logo that could be read as both an H and S, wrapping the shapes together across separate lines to emphasize connecting across boundaries, and bridging the gap from those struggling to those with help.

We chose a new brand palette that took mental health from a passive topic to an active one, choosing a tactical, activating orange, and shadowy black that gave mental struggles equal gravity to the physical ones. Combined, this darkness and energy communicate the stakes and urgency of the program, as well as giving Headstrong’s work a sense of grit and toughness.

Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt

ONE SITE. MANY MISSIONS.

Headstrong’s digital experience sat at the intersection of audiences and goals. It needed to connect veterans simply and quickly to help, create trust in their program, and inspire donors to help their work continue. So we developed a UX with separate hubs for each audience, all of which broke the topics down into digestible segments and directed people to act with concrete steps.

Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt
Headstrong by Reakt Headstrong by Reakt