It was a privilege for us at Spindogs to be invited to work with Velindre to create a new brand identity for the Velindre Oncology Academy. At the project inception it was important to establish the role this new identity would undertake in representing the organisation’s values and goals. Through an initial workshop phase, we determined that although this new arm of the Velindre family would need to align with the existing values of the cancer centre, it would also need to establish its own unique identity. Although exceptional oncology treatment would remain central to the academy’s ethos, the main focus was on the practitioners themselves and the educational community within the organisation.
Our discussions with Velindre led us to identify five key values that the visual identity needed to embody. “Excellence” was the first, meaning the identity needed to visually reflect the nature of the practitioners involved. “World-leading” was another value, guiding us to create an identity that conveyed prestige and would help attract new practitioners to the academy.
“Innovation” was imperative to communicate the evolving nature of oncology as a practice. When considering stylistic values, we emphasised “consistency,” meaning we would avoid unnecessary styled elements. The fifth and final value was “flexibility,” which was strategically important in developing the design system. The identity needed to be adaptable across all touchpoints, whether in physical forms like print and wayfinding or within the digital landscape, while still having a sense of cohesion bonded by the brand elements.
With the direction of the project established, we entered an initial research phase that included multiple avenues to inform our design decisions. One avenue involved examining the identities of organisations that we believed shared the same values outlined in our brand workshop, these included global brands such as like NASA, MIT, and Nike. Each of these organisations presents itself visually in very different ways, which allows us to understand the scope and variation we could consider when establishing a visual language suited to the ethos of the Oncology Academy.
I am very grateful for this opportunity and equally thankful that Velindre trusted our ideas and creativity. That level of trust is just as important as the work we create.
We also approached our research from a heritage angle, looking into Velindre as a location to see if we could draw visual cues from specific landmarks. We discovered that the town of Velindre is well known for its old water mills, noting this as an interesting avenue for visual research.
The science of cancer and oncology itself was another visual theme we wanted to explore, which presented an abundance of visual cues. We looked into the visualisation of cancer cells, DNA mutations, through medical diagrams. It was important to us not to highlight the negative connotations often associated with cancer. This guided our research to focus more on the visualisation of oncology as it could be perceived as more solution based.
Our research phase heavily informed the updated brand for the Oncology Academy. The logo’s circular form is reminiscent of the Velindre water mill, subtly nodding to the heritage of the place where the organisation was formed. The individual spindle-like forms repeated around the interior circumference of the icon draw inspiration from microscopic monoclonal antibodies used in oncology care to target cancer cells. We wanted the styling of this identity to be as minimal as possible to emphasise the important theme of ‘consistency’ outlined in our initial brand workshop. The result ties the heritage of the surrounding community to the science of oncology.
With the logo form established, it was important to consider the further identity. Additional visual elements needed exploration, and as we did so, the design team felt that these elements should be conceptually rooted. While generating visual ideas, we began constructing a series of shapes adapted from the negative space in the logo. These shapes were similar in form but each had unique features. They all started to adopt the same visual language.
The shapes represent the concept of ‘change’ in the sense that cancer is a disease of mutation and is constantly changing. However, oncology and the battle against cancer also require change and innovation. When considering the notion of ‘flexibility,’ the shapes serve as building blocks, symbolically representing different topics or sub-themes related to the Oncology Academy. Combined, these shapes can also be used decoratively to help establish brand presence.
The success of the shape system is significantly influenced by the use of colour within the design system. Velindre advised us to retain the original green and blue from the cancer centre’s identity. To breathe new life into these colours, we expanded the palette by finding complementary colours. These additional colours act as part of the shape system, injecting new brand recognition while providing a contemporary look.
A revised type system that both enhanced the new aesthetic of the brand and considered legibility was imperative for all communication pieces. We selected the font family DM Sans. As a sans-serif typeface, it is ideal for communicating complex medical information. Its soft, curved edges also provide a sense of approachability and friendliness, which we felt complemented the other characteristics established within the brand system. When designing brands, we always consider how they will transfer to digital landscapes, such as websites and apps. DM Sans is provided by the Google Font Foundry, ensuring ease of licensing and setup for future digital products created under the Oncology Academy.
Overall, the new brand for Velindre has set a visual standard for oncology academies across the UK. It now boasts the most sophisticated and well-considered identity among its peers. Most importantly, this new identity reflects the level of service and expertise that Velindre provides. The feedback we have received from Velindre has been overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic about their new brand.
On a personal note, this project provided immense satisfaction and pleasure as a designer. It is extremely rewarding to work with organisations like Velindre, knowing that the outcome of our work will aid the positive impact they have on individual lives. The project was made even more special by the creative freedom allowed within the brief, enabling us to fully showcase our capabilities as designers. I am very grateful for this opportunity and equally thankful that Velindre trusted our ideas and creativity. That level of trust is just as important as the work we create.