NHS Digital: Brand strategy and identity
Clarity and modernity for healthcare's digital engineers
An identity to align 6,000 staff, working with the world's largest body of healthcare data.
The challenge
NHS Digital are the engineers behind the NHS. They support the systems that allow health and care professionals to share vital information seamlessly. They design, build and support key digital products such as the NHS App and NHS 111 online, the channels that allow rapid access to healthcare. And they manage the world's largest body of healthcare data, helping the service plan resources and supporting research into the next generation of treatments.
The work they do has a life-changing impact and yet, they were something of an unknown quantity. Their vital role wasn't understood inside or outside the service and their place within the NHS ecosystem was unclear. We were invited to review the current brand to help bring NHS Digital into sharp focus.
Our approach
Following extensive research and interviews with key stakeholders, our first step was to articulate a clear proposition for NHS Digital. 'Pioneering technology for life' became the statement that would provide the foundation for a new expression of the brand. In visual terms, our approach to the brand identity was to keep things clear, confident and contemporary.
We brought a human-centred approach to the photography to emphasise the human impact of NHS Digital's work. And we introduced a flexible graphic system of 'digi-blocks' to support key messages and help make the complexity of NHSD's work accessible. We also mapped out key messages for the organisation and provided guidance on tone of voice. In keeping with a digitally-driven organisation, the new brand was launched internally via a dedicated interactive platform.
Results
While the new brand received highly positive engagement and has clarified NHS Digital’s role within the NHS, it has continued to deliver for the organisation well beyond launch. It has helped to bring coherence to NHS Digital as an employer brand, enabling them to attract high quality people to the organisation. It has also allowed them consolidate their initiatives around equality, diversity and inclusion, creating a highly impactful internal campaign.
“They asked questions that allowed us to define our role, achievements and future direction and worked with us to shape those messages into products that engaged our most important audiences. They are a highly intelligent, flexible and client-centred group of creative people who are not afraid to challenge.”
