John Westhaver Resilience Expert
Brand Design & Web Development
Victoria, British Columbia
2025
A comprehensive brand system crafted for keynote speaker and resilience expert, John Westhaver. This project exemplifies my ability to develop a full-scale, emotionally intelligent visual identity rooted in storytelling, clarity, and impact.
Summary
This project for John Westhaver was a full-scale brand transformation built from the ground up. I worked closely with John to craft a unified visual identity and communication system that reflects his journey as a burn survivor, resilience expert, and keynote speaker. From the logo and brand guidelines to his client welcome materials, business cards, and slide decks—every piece was designed to reinforce his message of healing, leadership, and personal accountability.
The project culminated in a fully designed website (built in Framer), seamlessly tying together his story, services, and public speaking presence into one cohesive digital experience. This body of work is a reflection of high-level design thinking rooted in empathy, clarity, and impact.
Challenge
One of the biggest challenges in this project was rebranding an identity that John had built himself from the ground up. There was a deep emotional attachment to his original designs, so the process required sensitivity, trust-building, and a clear vision for how the new direction could elevate his impact.
Another hurdle was timing—John’s demanding schedule as a speaker meant we had to navigate inconsistent availability and long stretches on the road. Flexibility and strong communication were key to keeping the project moving forward while respecting his priorities.
Solutions
To guide the rebrand, I anchored the design process in storytelling—drawing from John’s lived experience to create a visual language he could connect with emotionally and professionally. By involving him early in the conceptual stages and showing how each element reflected his mission, I helped shift the focus from what was being replaced to what was being elevated.
To manage the timing challenges, I built a flexible workflow that allowed for asynchronous feedback and clear, visual milestones. This made it easier for John to stay engaged while traveling, and kept the momentum strong even during gaps in communication