YDco Lab
A rebrand and full website design for the Youth Development Collaboration Lab (YD Co-Lab) — a South African network of organisations, practitioners and youth advocating for a stronger youth development ecosystem.
YD Co-Lab exists to bring together organisations working across South Africa’s youth development sector — from grassroots practitioners to national steering committee members — under one collaborative identity.
The brief called for a brand and website that could hold that range of audiences: warm and human enough for youth-facing content, credible enough for institutional partners and funders, and structured enough to support a growing knowledge library, membership base, and events calendar.
A collaborative identity built from many voices.
The identity exploration translated YD Co-Lab’s role as a connector into a visual system that feels welcoming, credible and unmistakably collective. Each route was tested against four practical principles: simplicity, approachability, scalability and strong monochrome performance.
Human connection
A people-first mark using the letter Y and an uplifted human form to express growth, optimism and shared purpose.
Collective momentum
A radial system where diverse voices converge around a shared centre, expressing collaboration, energy and possibility.
Connected ecosystem
An orbit-inspired route positioning the Lab as a meeting point for organisations, knowledge and action.
A growing ecosystem, made navigable.
The interface system turns a large body of organisational information into a calm, responsive journey. A disciplined grid, generous spacing and a clear content hierarchy turn mission, principles and people into a story that builds institutional trust.
A Knowledge Library brings search, filters, publications and webinars together into practical pathways through a growing resource base, while the Membership section pairs benefits and social proof with a direct call to action to support community growth.
Discover knowledge
Structured filters and distinct content formats help visitors move quickly from curiosity to useful resources.
Understand the ecosystem
Mission, team and partner stories make a complex collaboration easier to understand and trust.
Join and participate
Membership, events and newsletter pathways turn passive visits into ongoing community engagement.
Where I focused.
Brand Identity
Explored and refined a colourful, human-centred mark reflecting the diversity of the youth development community.
Digital Design System
Defined a responsive grid, typography hierarchy, accessible palette, iconography and reusable interaction patterns.
UX & Information Architecture
Organised About, Knowledge Library, Youth Ecosystem, Membership, News & Events and Contact into a coherent journey.
Website Design & Build
Designed responsive page templates and community tools that can scale with the organisation.
What it delivered.
Gave a volunteer-led, multi-stakeholder network a single, coherent public identity.
Created a consistent interface system for resources, membership, events and future digital products.
Positioned YD Co-Lab credibly to funders, government stakeholders and youth-serving organisations alike.