DESIGN /// H O R N A L L A N D E R S O N
CLIENT /// F R E D H U T C H I N S O N C A N C E R RESEARCH CENTER
CATEGORY /// INITIALS
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle , Washington , is a world-renowned cancer research organization . Its scientists and researchers have developed life-changing breakthroughs like HPV vaccines and bone marrow transplants . However , much of this work is done with little fanfare . Most people don ’ t understand the signifi cance of what the center does and how its research potentially impacts the lives of people who have cancer .
Hornall Anderson was charged with rebranding the institution from top to bottom — not an easy task , considering the obstacles the center has faced . The new brand needed to resonate with “ Hutch ” employees , many of whom were wary of coming across as inauthentic , and it needed to clearly and quickly communicate the organization ’ s role to potential donors . “ The fi ght for federal research grants and private money is getting more competitive . Institutions are becoming much more sophisticated in communicating what they do . Over the years , Fred Hutch faced an increased challenge in getting the attention they needed ,” says Andy Kribbs , design director at Hornall Anderson .
The original identity for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center lacked character and said nothing about the research center .
“ The Fred Hutch team is quite sophisticated and experienced , so we had really good conversations with them in the early stages to get a clear understanding of what the organization stood for and what they believed in ,” Kribbs notes . They then held a series of town hall meetings , inviting everyone on campus to come and participate in the brand discussion . “ This effort couldn ’ t just be plopped in the lap of all these researchers . They have to know where it came from and what it means ,” he says . “ You can have the most beautiful and well intentioned mark , but it means nothing if you don ’ t bring them along in the process .”
The design team really got a sense of what goes on day-to-day at Fred Hutch by listening to the organization ’ s members . They also got the
Andy Kribbs and his design team interviewed employees and hosted town hall events in order to develop the brand platform . Through this process it became clear that the logo needed to communicate that Fred Hutch does the scientifi c research and development that leads to cures . He says , “ This opened up vast creative opportunities within scientifi c and research territories for us to explore .”
“ They needed to clearly communicate what they do and their role in the fight against cancer externally and equally energize the institution itself .”
— Andy Kribbs
Case Studies 13