A new hearing health brand supporting veterans suffering from hearing loss, Hearwell came to us for branding services. Adhering to Ministry of Defense guidelines, we created an immediately recognisable, inclusive design, using a harmonious, stylish colour palette and clever logo.
The Challenge: Balance Professional Style with Personal Messaging
As a joint civilian and military venture between the Ministry of Defence and the NHS, Hearwell’s brand design needed to be striking and unique, yet in-line with broader MoD design guidelines. Our branding needed to be tailored to military personnel and their network, showcasing Hearwell’s high level of clinical professionalism, without losing sight of the personal and inspiring messaging. Hearwell provides a wealth of information, guides and research, therefore design consistency and clarity were of utmost importance to convey their message, services and resources.
Our Solution: A Relevant & Sophisticated Brand Design
The Logo
Our logo design was modern and clean, featuring a clever brand mark which merges an ear with the letter ‘h’. Combining these two simple elements created a sophisticated, highly relevant brand mark. We designed the logo to be highly adaptable, with multiple colour variations to suit various applications.
The Brand Shape
From the logo, we created a distinctive brand shape. The silhouette of an ear device, it is used to house imagery, adding intrigue to the design and providing a consistent link to brand purpose. The shape can be rotated and scaled to achieve any desired layout.
Colour Palette
The flexible colour palette was inspired by military tones and chosen in harmony with the MoD’s wider brand aesthetic. Used consistently throughout the design and within images, it will become synonymous with the Hearwell organisation. A variety of blue hues paired with turquoise and white combine to create a calming, stylish and professional finish.
Tone of Voice
We chose a modern, sans-serif typeface, utilising a variety of weights for clear communication. It was important for brand messaging to be concise and positive. We used the imperative mood to inspire the reader, with ‘Hear Excitement’, Hear Adventure’ and ‘Hear Entertainment’ each highlighting the exciting potential of the organisation’s work.
Photography
To complement this message, we incorporated photographs of adventurous activities and family time that would resonate with the audience, each full of movement and sentiment. Every image evoked a sound, from the rush of water behind kayakers to the unmistakable sound of the bumper cars at the fairground. The imagery aimed to display an idealistic yet achievable vibe. Accompanying each image is the positive phrase, ‘Rediscover the sounds that you love’. All photographs we overlaid with a colour burn, either in Turquoise or Sky Blue, in-keeping with the brand’s distinctive colour palette.
Icons
To illustrate at a glance the core services that Hearwell offer, we designed a set of icons. Specific Research, Resources and Guides and Prevention and Treatment each had an icon which could be used across any collateral or digital platform.
Final Thoughts: Understated Inspiration
Hearwell targets a specific audience with a history of medical trauma. With this in mind, their brand needed to deliver a clear, no-nonsense message that was inspirational without appearing condescending. Our stylish colour choices combined with an unmistakable brand logo and motivational brand voice achieved the ideal balance. We provided full brand guidelines for design continuity that ensures all information is clearly and consistently displayed.
