Starting Point

When the Questions Matter More Than the Answers

Starting Point had grown beyond its origins as a structured teaching program.

What people were really coming for wasn’t a curriculum — it was a safe place to ask the questions they weren’t sure they could ask anywhere else.

The rebrand emphasized that shift: questions weren’t problems to fix, but invitations to meaningful conversation. The identity moved from classroom to living room — warmer, more human, and designed to feel like a true beginning, not a lecture.

CREATIVE DIRECTION | PRINT DESIGN | PHOTOGRAPHY SOURCING | BRANDING

Text image with the words "starting point" in large white letters on a black background.

Project Goal

What began as a structured teaching environment had evolved into something more conversational and community-driven. The rebrand needed to reflect that shift: from instruction to invitation, from “learning about” to “talking through.”

Before

The Creative Shift

The breakthrough insight came in a single question: What are people starting? The answer wasn’t a class or a course. It was a conversation. That idea became the organizing principle for the brand.

Positioning & Tagline: “Some questions have answers. Others deserve a conversation.” A line that communicates safety, openness, and curiosity.

Design Approach: We reimagined the materials as a gift — something participants would want to keep, revisit, and share.

Visuals: Moved away from polished stock imagery toward genuine lifestyle photography that evoked warmth and authenticity.

Tone: Layered in thought-provoking quotes from diverse voices across the faith spectrum, modeling the inclusivity of the experience.

Starting Point logo with the words 'starting point', where the 'o' in 'point' is depicted as a speech bubble.

Why It Worked

Strategic Insight

Anchoring the rebrand around conversation as the true “starting point.”

Human Mission

Creating an inclusive, invitational tone where doubt and curiosity felt welcome.

Durability

Materials still in active use today, with global adoption and continued impact.

The Experience

Because the audience included high-level executives, every touchpoint had to feel intentional.

  • Physical artifacts: Custom leather notebooks (sourced internationally), U.S.-made wood boxes, and display cards designed to last.

  • Cost-effective printing techniques that delivered a premium feel without breaking budget.

  • Book design & production: Aligning Tim Spiker’s long-awaited book with the refreshed identity, ensuring consistency and credibility.

Every detail became a tangible extension of the brand’s new clarity.

Book titled 'Starting Point: A Conversation About Faith' by Andy Stanley on a white pedestal, featuring a cover with a forest and wooden pathway.
Open book on a beige surface showing a page with questions about reflection and a photograph of an old staircase with chipped paint and worn wooden steps.
Back cover of a book titled 'Starting Point' with text describing faith-based discussion sessions, including a list of sessions and a brief description of the author, Andy Stanley.
Open magazine on a gray surface, showing a page with an amusement park ride, a carousel, and the word "TRUST" in large letters.
A sunset scene at a carnival with a brightly lit swing ride in motion, featuring several swinging chairs hanging from the ride. The word 'TRUST' is overlaid in bold red text across the image, and smaller text on the right indicates 'CHAPTER 3 - TRUST
A view of a city skyline through a damaged chain-link fence with a railway running along the foreground.
Entrance to a starting point with a quote from Walt Disney on a dark wall, and a descriptive sign on the right that says, "A conversational environment where people can explore faith and experience community."
A woman with long hair raising her hand to block the camera, standing outdoors during sunset.
Outdoor digital billboard near a sidewalk, trees, and cars, displaying the website startingpoint.com with a background of a boat on water at sunset.
Broken ceramic or porcelain plates on a dark surface, with some pieces scattered. The plates are blue with a textured pattern.
A box of red, pink, and one green crayon.
A smiling baby being held by an adult, with sunlight coming through window blinds in the background.
A young boy reading a book in a dark room with a small flashlight illuminating the pages.
Person jumping off a rock in an outdoor setting with trees, with the word 'FAITH' overlaid.

The Outcome

The new Starting Point brand launched with a cohesive system of visuals, language, and participant materials that captured the heart of the experience.

·       Picked up for national distribution by HarperCollins.

·       Adopted by churches worldwide, with translations into multiple languages.

·       Continues to be a flagship environment for people beginning honest conversations about faith.

The redesign didn’t just update the look — it reframed the program’s purpose. By centering conversation instead of curriculum, Starting Point became a more human, invitational, and enduring experience.