Worsham College:
Lighting the Way for Future Funeral Professionals
Worsham College is no stranger to evolution, having been at the cutting edge of mortuary science education and research since its founding in 1911. Over a century in, Worsham came under the guidance of new owners, Leili & Brian McMurrough. They soon launched the country’s first online Associate of Science program, with the development of a brand new state-of-the-art lab following close on its heels. With all this forward momentum, they needed a brand that could match their pace.
From the very outset, we were struck by Leili’s impassioned vision and deep knowledge of her field. We worked closely with the whole Worsham team, drawing on their expertise and enthusiasm to build a brand that could honor their history, embody their passion, and give them space to carry the torch into their next century.
Finally, we joined forces with WordPress extraordinaire, Erica Dreisbach, to build a robust, yet clean and intuitively navigable website, capable of meeting the needs of a modern educational institution and its multiple distinct audiences.
SERVICES PROVIDED
INDUSTRY
Brand
Web Design
Copywriting
Marketing Collateral
Merch Design
Higher Education
THE STRATEGY
THE WORK
The Logo
Worsham’s previous logo carried a great deal of history, but was weighed down by years of bolted-on updates and additions. In our refresh, we focused both on stripping away the baggage, while reinvigorating its most essential elements.
Before
After
The reconstructed wordmark shows its lineage in its serifed letterforms but introduces more open spacing and a suite of subtle curves and details that lend it an affability and verve lacking in previous iterations.
The Seal
Another nod to Worsham’s past: the cleaned up and refined seal, emblazoned with a torch, a symbol of the profession’s history as well as Worsham’s role in lighting the way forward.
before
after
Visual Brand
Worsham’s brand speaks to multiple audiences across a range of contexts and media—from printed communications to prospective students, to wearable merch for current students, to digital resources for alum.
At the core of the identity, characterful and distinctive typography is grounded by Worsham’s historic blue. A supporting suite of blue tones expands the possibilities for inflection, while a passionate orange—inspired by the vibrant brick of Worsham’s campus—provides a warm and lively compliment. The resulting voice is clear yet dynamic, confident yet approachable.
WORLD Sub Brand
In addition to its degree programs, Worsham fosters the ongoing development of those already at work in the industry through their non-profit organization, Worsham Organization for Research, Learning and Development (WORLD). By creating a community of practice for working funeral professionals through continuing education, research, and public engagement, WORLD aims to promote understanding and advancement of the profession.
As a separate organization with its own approach, WORLD needed a distinct voice. While certain shared elements connect its visual language to that of Worsham, those elements take on new roles and meanings in the context of new surroundings.
Website
Worsham’s site posed a compelling design question. How do we equip Worsham’s students—past, present, and future—with elegant, accessible tools for navigating an ocean of online resources?
Years of ad hoc updates had left Worsham’s existing site an unwieldy jumble of dry copy and distracting visual styles. Our first step was to work closely with their team to fully overhaul their web content.
Together, we mapped user’s journeys; established a clear structure, with a robust typographic system to support it; and developed a tone of voice grounded in Worsham’s infectious warmth and drive.
Finally, we developed a custom navigation module that divides the site into discrete sections for each user category, allowing visitors to quickly find the information that’s most relevant to them.