The Sanitation Learning Hub (SLH), based at the Institute of Development Studies, is a global programme that strengthens the sanitation and hygiene (S&H) sector through reflection, learning and knowledge sharing. Formerly the CLTS Knowledge Hub, the team needed to reposition themselves to reflect their expanded mission and broader scope of work.
Working in partnership with We Are Potential, we led the rebrand and website design while they oversaw development. Our role was to create a flexible identity and digital presence that would reflect SLH’s values of trust, collaboration and dynamism. The result was a complete transformation, a bold new brand system, practical templates and tools, and a modern website designed to showcase SLH’s role as a global knowledge hub.
SLH’s existing identity and website had become barriers to growth. The logo and rainbow palette were too closely tied to Community Led Total Sanitation, limiting the Hub’s ability to speak to a wider sector. Their website had also grown unwieldy, with thousands of resources that were difficult to navigate, overwhelming for new users, and failing to highlight the Hub’s own outputs.
The challenge was to create a brand and digital presence that could both honour SLH’s trusted history and open space for their evolving vision. The identity needed to be modern, recognisable and flexible across multiple formats. The website, meanwhile, had to strike a balance between professional and approachable, providing clarity for diverse global audiences while encouraging interaction, sharing and engagement.
We ran a series of brand and UX workshops with SLH’s leadership team to define their values and audience needs. These sessions uncovered a clear vision: a brand that was trustworthy, collaborative and dynamic. From there, we moved away from the interlinked hands logo and created a new visual identity, typography and illustration style, working with illustrator Sandra Staufer.
The colour palette was built around SLH’s three core areas of work, giving each a distinct pairing. A broader secondary palette gave the Hub freedom to adapt their communications for different contexts. We developed a full set of brand guidelines and a range of branded templates; from reports and PowerPoints to social media and event materials.
In parallel, we designed a new website alongside We Are Potential, ensuring it was clear, approachable and easy to navigate. Together we reshaped user journeys to highlight SLH’s publications and showcase their role as a global learning hub.
The rebrand and website launched successfully, giving SLH a confident new identity and a digital platform that reflected their expanded mission. The refreshed brand positioned them as modern and inclusive, while the new website offered a user-friendly way to engage with their publications, events and resources.
Since launch, SLH has seen a significant uplift in engagement. Website traffic increased, newsletter sign-ups grew, and stakeholders across the sector responded positively to the clarity of the new identity and accessibility of the website. The flexible design system gave the team confidence and consistency across all their outputs, from reports and presentations to social media.
By embedding design-for-good principles throughout, we created more than just a visual refresh. We delivered tools that help SLH strengthen connections, share learning and inspire change, supporting their mission to ensure sanitation and hygiene for all.
