tagline , “ Cures start here ,” from one of the employees during a town hall gathering . That line embodies the essence of Fred Hutch , and it created new meaning for the design team , taking them out of the competitive mentality to one of a supporter for an overall cause . Kribbs explains , “ We rallied around , ‘ A win is a win for all ’ mentality . There was now a platform that really got us running to develop copy and visuals .”
The logo design initially explored many visual territories using DNA and genetic codes as design cues . As it progressed , the team explored the idea of cells dividing . “ Essentially a cancer researcher looks for something different — that moment of change . Cancer cells look different from regular cells , and that ’ s what we were trying to get through in the logo design ,” Kribbs says .
Color was another major factor in the design . Blues and greens are dominant in the scientifi c world , and they are also subtle references to the Seattle landscape . Other color palettes were explored , including warm colors like reds and oranges , but Kribbs notes , “ You start to see blood and other related imagery , and it feels too real .”
The fi nal logo and identity was really well received by employees , and Fred Hutch is experiencing a new level of exposure locally and nationally as banners roll out citywide and ads pop up in publications like Wired , Forbes , The New Yorker , and Entrepreneur magazines .
“ For the next round , we tried to sharpen the visual language of the mark by refi ning details and exploring rendering techniques such as textures , realism and incorporating the H as a way to integrate Hutch . One of the researchers from our interviews had mentioned that looking for cancer is looking for a moment of change — when cells begin to behave differently than they should ,” Kribbs notes . “ Since we had conducted lots of creative exploration already , this was the key that made it all click together . The joiner between the two stems of the H became the catalyst moment that ultimately brought the mark to its fi nal state .”
“ The reception has been wonderful . Everyone was understandably a little nervous about how it would be received , but the Fred Hutch employees identify with the new brand identity and embrace it as their own ,” Kribbs says .
This sequence shows how the logo progressed from the initial concept to its fi nal state .
“ We ultimately presented three marks that represented very different takes on research . Each had a compelling narrative linked directly to the strategy ,” Kribbs explains . “ Having this conceptual foundation in place helps our clients talk about the logo beyond aesthetics and gives any nonvisual stakeholders information to respond to . The logo that became the front-runner appears as if you were observing a cell culture through a microscope . The dots and dashes can also read as data and a modern approach to research . Some also saw a globe , cueing the global impact that Fred Hutch has on the world .”
Final logo design .
14 LogoLounge 9 Case Studies