NextSense: An accessible award winning brand

NextSense is one of Australia’s most enduring institutions, with a 165-year legacy originating from the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children. As the country’s second oldest not-for-profit, it needed a brand that honoured its rich history while confidently stepping into the future.

Rebranding NextSense was a strategic transformation of a 165-year complex organisation into a future-focused brand grounded in purpose and inclusivity. This evolution was underpinned by years of rigorous research and deep co-design with people with sensory disability, ensuring lived experience informed every decision. The brand strategy needed to balance heritage with innovation, while repositioning NextSense in a competitive and evolving landscape.

At the heart of the rebrand was a commitment to accessibility—not just in service delivery, but in brand communication, design, and experience. The brand had to resonate with a diverse and complex audience: from children to adults with hearing and vision loss, to families, educators, clinicians, researchers, and policymakers. This required a nuanced messaging architecture and flexible visual identity system capable of scaling across educational, medical, and advocacy contexts.

The result was more than a rebrand—it was a realignment of purpose, experience, and equity, setting a new benchmark for accessibility-led brand strategy.

The brand has received significant recognition for creative and strategic excellence. 

Key awards include:

D&AD Awards 

– Graphite Pencil Winner for Writing in Design (Naming)

Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) Awards 

– Winner for Brand Identity (Logos and Trademarks)
– Winner for Brand Identity (Large Business)
– Finalist for Brand For Good (Not-for-Profit)

Australian Good Design Awards 

– Excellence in Communication Design

Interbrand Global Iconic Awards 

– Winner in Identity
– Commendation in Name
– Commendation in Voice

ANZ Transform Awards

– Gold for Best Implementation of a Brand Development Project
– Silver for Best Internal Communications during a Brand Development Project

These accolades shine a light on NextSense’s position as a trusted and innovative organisation and demonstrate the strength of a brand that honours the past while looking decisively to the future.