Elizabeth and Scott Stephens founded the Gus Owen Stephens Foundation (GOS Foundation) in honor of their son, Gus, who was diagnosed with a terminal genetic condition at only nine months. Since founding the organization, the Stephens' and other community members have created bereavement rooms in hospitals across Texas for better palliative care.
Children with life-limiting illnesses shouldn't have to spend their days in sterile, cold hospital rooms -- this was the experience of Elizabeth and Scott Stephens, founders of Gus Owen Stephens Foundation, and the impetus for starting their organization.
GOS Foundation wanted to change the palliative care experience by offering warm and empathetic care to children and their families undergoing a chronic or terminal diagnosis. To convey those qualities, we chose simple, clean fonts and a muted color palette composed primarily by shades of teal, with custard yellow to accent.
Children don't stop being children when diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness. We helped the GOS Foundation illustrate this idea by using childlike elements, such as the illustrated giraffe, as well as leaf and cloud elements as accents. The visuals also reinforce the warmth and care for which the foundation is known.
The website helps fulfill several goals by raising awareness for better palliative care in central Texas, and generates local involvement and financial support as the foundation aims to increase access to better palliative care. The new website also updates donors on the impact of Butterfly Bereavement Rooms and the help they offer families, communities and hospitals.
Donations increase when they're easy to make, which explains why we made the "Donate" button the first action visitors can take when they scroll down the home page. We also added a "Support" tab to the navigation for visitors desiring more information.
The Stephens' story of love and loss is key to understanding the foundation. We reaffirmed their story by making it a centerpiece of the website, giving it prominence on the home page and illustrating it in a way that was both respectful and true to the brand.