Case Study
Northern Nevada Legal Aid
Rebranding, Website Design & Development
A New Identity for a Broader Mission of Justice.
Since 1965, Northern Nevada Legal Aid has helped individuals and families navigate the legal system, providing essential civil legal services to people who might otherwise be unable to afford representation. From housing and consumer protection to domestic violence, child advocacy, and senior legal services, the nonprofit has spent decades protecting the rights and well-being of some of Nevada's most vulnerable residents.
Originally known as Washoe Legal Services, the organization had grown beyond its geographic roots, expanding its reach and services to communities throughout Northern Nevada. But its existing name, identity, and website no longer reflected the full scope of its mission.
Ace Studios partnered with the organization to develop a new name, visual identity, and website that communicated its expanded reach, improved accessibility, and made it easier for individuals to find the legal assistance they needed.
The Challenge
For individuals facing legal challenges, finding reliable information and affordable assistance can be intimidating. Whether navigating a housing dispute, seeking protection from domestic violence, or addressing a guardianship matter, people need clear guidance and accessible resources during potentially difficult circumstances.
After more than five decades of serving the community, the organization had evolved beyond its original identity as Washoe Legal Services. While its services extended into surrounding rural counties, its name continued to suggest a focus primarily on Washoe County.
The organization's website presented additional challenges. Its content needed to be reorganized and rewritten to better explain available services, improve search engine visibility, and guide visitors toward appropriate assistance.
Accessibility was especially important. As an organization dedicated to removing barriers within the legal system, its own digital presence needed to reflect that commitment through inclusive design and adherence to recognized accessibility standards.
The challenge was to create a new identity that honored the organization's history while communicating its broader mission, supported by a website that made complex legal information easier to understand and navigate.
Our Approach
Ace Studios approached the project as both an organizational rebrand and a digital transformation.
We began by collaborating with key stakeholders to understand the organization's history, evolving service area, and long-term vision. These conversations helped establish a strategic direction for an identity that would represent the organization's broader geographic reach without losing the recognition it had earned over decades of community service.
The name Northern Nevada Legal Aid emerged as a clear, descriptive way to communicate both the organization's purpose and the communities it served.
With the new name established, our team developed a visual identity that balanced professionalism, approachability, and accessibility. We paid particular attention to typography, color contrast, and overall legibility to ensure the new identity could be used consistently across different applications.
For the website, we focused on simplifying how visitors discovered services and understood the assistance available to them.
We developed a more intuitive information architecture, reorganizing content around the legal needs of the people seeking help rather than the internal structure of the organization.
Our team also rewrote and refined website copy to make important information more approachable while incorporating search engine optimization best practices.
Throughout the process, accessibility remained a central priority, influencing both the visual design and technical development of the new WordPress website.
What We Created
Ace Studios helped Northern Nevada Legal Aid establish a new identity and digital presence through:
Brand Strategy and Organizational Naming
We collaborated with organizational stakeholders to transition from Washoe Legal Services to Northern Nevada Legal Aid, developing a name that more accurately represented the nonprofit's expanded geographic reach and commitment to accessible legal assistance.
Logo Design and Visual Identity
Our team developed a new logo, color palette, and supporting visual elements that communicated professionalism and approachability while creating a recognizable identity for the organization.
Website Architecture and Content Strategy
We restructured the website to organize legal services and resources more intuitively, making it easier for visitors to identify the assistance relevant to their circumstances.
Website Copywriting and Search Engine Optimization
We rewrote and organized website content to communicate complex legal topics in clear, accessible language while incorporating SEO best practices to improve the discoverability of the organization's services.
Custom WordPress Website Design and Development
We designed and developed a modern WordPress website that brought the new identity to life through an organized, responsive digital experience that the organization could continue to manage and update.
Website Accessibility and Inclusive Design
We incorporated accessibility considerations throughout the website, including readable typography, appropriate color contrast, and design practices aligned with WCAG standards, helping reduce barriers for individuals seeking legal assistance.
The Result
Northern Nevada Legal Aid emerged from the project with a new name, cohesive visual identity, and modern website that better reflected its mission and expanded service area.
The transition from Washoe Legal Services to Northern Nevada Legal Aid provided a clearer representation of the organization's geographic reach, helping communicate that its services extended beyond Washoe County to residents throughout the region.
The redesigned website brought greater organization and clarity to the nonprofit's extensive legal resources, giving visitors more straightforward pathways to explore services and find relevant information.
Accessibility-conscious design and improved content organization also helped create a more inclusive online experience, aligning the organization's digital presence with its broader commitment to removing barriers to justice.
Beyond the immediate improvements, the project gave Northern Nevada Legal Aid a unified identity and flexible digital platform to support future communications, community outreach, and organizational growth.
For an organization dedicated to ensuring that access to justice isn't determined by someone's financial circumstances or location, the project represented an important step toward making that mission more visible and accessible.
Because access to justice begins with knowing where to turn.