Stichting Lezen en Schrijven

Branding Communication

Stichting Lezen en Schrijven

Language enables participation

Challenge

One in five European adults struggles with reading and writing. They face daily obstacles that make it harder to participate in modern society, leading to social and economic exclusion. This is both morally and economically unacceptable.

Stichting Lezen en Schrijven works to prevent and reduce low literacy in the Netherlands and beyond. Yet the organisation’s outdated identity no longer reflected its mission: making language accessible to everyone.

The challenge for TD: create a clear, warm, and inclusive brand identity that makes the foundation recognisable to a broad audience and strengthens its social impact.

Idea

Accessibility was the guiding principle in every design decision, from colour contrast to typography, from tone of voice to imagery. TD created a contemporary, accessible visual identity that radiates empathy and clarity.

The new branding combines humanity with simplicity: legible typefaces, strong contrasts, and distinctive illustrations make complex issues easy to understand.

In addition, TD developed a flexible brand system with practical tools, templates, and guidelines. This enables employees, municipalities, and partners to communicate quickly, consistently, and inclusively online, in print, and through campaigns.

Result

The new identity has helped Stichting Lezen en Schrijven express its mission more powerfully. Since its introduction, brand awareness has increased by 5% and theme awareness by 8% (2019–2022).

The design system improves internal efficiency and strengthens external recognition, from municipal collaborations to national campaigns such as Ik wil leren and the Week van Lezen en Schrijven.

Today, the foundation speaks with one accessible, human voice, paving the way for a society in which everyone can participate.