Gaila

Creating a compassionate, design-forward brand identity for a nonprofit supporting cancer patients

Gaila is a nonprofit created to support cancer patients through a beautifully crafted headdress—an alternative to traditional head coverings that restores dignity, comfort, and self-expression. We partnered with The Gaila Fund to build a brand identity that communicates compassion without feeling clinical, and style without sacrificing emotional presence. The result is a visual system that feels warm, modern, and deeply human.

Client
The Gaila Fund
Industry
Health & Wellness, Nonprofit, Lifestyle Product
Scope of Work
Brand Identity, Logo Design, Print Collateral, Nonprofit Communications

Printed nonprofit materials for Gaila using soft illustrative style

We named Gaila which is a play on three words: gala, gele (the Nigerian headdress on which the Gaila is modeled) and Gail, the Milton professor of international business who designed the prototype.

The Challenge

Create a brand that balances emotional support with a contemporary, fashion-inspired sensibility.

This would position the Gaila headdress as a thoughtfully designed personal accessory. The identity needed to project calm, confidence, and humanity across patient-facing and donor-facing materials alike.

The Solution

The name Gaila was chosen for its warmth and layered meaning—a gentle, memorable word that hints at both gala and the gele headdress that inspired the product.

The logo follows the same quiet elegance: a modern cameo-style profile that conveys compassion, dignity, and care without feeling clinical.

A warm, contemporary palette and refined typography keep the system calm and human-centered. Patterned backgrounds derived from donated fabrics nod to the handcrafted headdresses, giving the brand an authentic, personal touch across packaging and print.

A refined, cameo-inspired mark captures both elegance and care—an emblem that humanizes the brand while feeling unmistakably modern.

gaila fonts on purple background

gaila fund A on pink

A palette of vivid red, soft rose, warm gray, and deep plum balances warmth and refinement, signaling compassion with contemporary clarity.

Gaila’s palette pairs vivid red and soft rose with warm gray and deep plum, balancing energy and warmth with depth and refinement for a timeless, contemporary feel.

gaila woman standing in front of rolls of fabrics

Patterns drawn from donated fabrics celebrate the handmade nature of each headdress and reinforce Gaila’s human-centered mission.

gaila wrapping paper in rolls vertical

A concise style guide brings together color, typography, and layout principles to ensure Gaila’s warm, modern identity remains consistent across every touchpoint.

The brand graphics and colors extended across all marketing materials.

the gaila fund branding page with iPad and business cards

The Results

The new identity gives Gaila a distinctive, uplifting presence—one that communicates empathy and design excellence in equal measure.

With a clear name, a timeless mark, and a cohesive visual system, the nonprofit can confidently introduce its product, build awareness, and strengthen donor engagement.

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