Dig Deep
Dig Deep works to provide schools and communities with access to water and sanitation in rural Kenya. Dirty water is responsible for more deaths each year than all forms of violence, including war. In rural Kenya 43% of people lack access to a clean water supply and 70% lack improved sanitation.
These figures shocked us. It's a world apart from what we take for granted. When they got in touch we couldn't wait to help.
— Ripple Effect
We discovered Dig Deep's process is like the ripple effect. They provide communities with access to clean water, toilets and sanitation training which the village elders then pass on to the younger generation and other villages nearby.
Even the impact of their work has huge ripples that spread across the country:
• Less death and illness due to waterborne disease
• For children, less time spent collecting water means more time spent at school
• It leads to higher attainment (especially for girls) which equates to better prospects
• Greater opportunities in education and employment benefit families, the wider community and the nation as a whole
• For children, less time spent collecting water means more time spent at school
• It leads to higher attainment (especially for girls) which equates to better prospects
• Greater opportunities in education and employment benefit families, the wider community and the nation as a whole
We decided to experiment with water, to see if ripples could form a simple graphic shape for the icon. We designed a simple 'DD' logo and to achieve the most authentic ripple shape, we used a Pyrex dish, faked some ripples and screen-grabbed the best shapes.
— Typography
During the early research parts of the project, we were handed a book of handwritten letters from the African children helped by Dig Deep's work. We read them all, and loved the idea of bringing in the children's handwritting to the brand. We chose 6 different notes from 6 children, and created alphabets based on their unique handwriting.
Some of the handwriting was soft and subtle, some big and brash, which gives the charity options for creating artwork in the future. We named the 6 typefaces after the children's letters: John, Debora, Emmanuel, Brendah, John, Doreen & Carlos.
— Raising money
To do the work they do, Dig Deep need to raise a hefty amount of funds. A key part of their fundraising process is students. They run extreme fundraising events, giving students the chance to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or run the Maasai marathon.
In the past Dig Deep separated the challenges from the main brand, which from our research, led to confusion. As part of the rebrand we brought the two together, so that it was clear to everyone how those funds were changing lives.
