Designer
Paul Bailes
Client
KIMS Hospital
Deliverables
Branding
Experiential
Offline
Brief
KIMS Hospital, a new £95M development in Maidstone approached us to work with them to develop the visual identity element of their brand. Internally they had defined their brand foundations and were clear about what they believed and values they stood for. They had also developed a logo which stood for these values.
Our task was to take these foundations and logo, and develop a visual identity that embodied the brand aspirations.
Design
The design task was to visually develop a unique brand identity that would engage both the medical community and general public, promoting the newly commissioned private hospital and securing it firmly in the mind as a leader in healthcare services in the South East. With a very ambitious business plan, we worked closely with the senior board members to develop a bold yet sympathetic secondary colour palette which, when used with images reflective of the brand aspirations, resulted in a strong house style that was applied not only across all marketing communications, but was also carried through to signage and clothing.
KIMS wanted to produce a different style of peer to peer communications rather than the traditional medical style of journal to engage with GPs and Consultants. We used strong photographic imagery coupled with a high-end style magazine approach (Clinical Opinions) resulting in a different to the usual dry publications produced.
Create
The launch of a multi-million pound hospital required a lot of support, initially in the form of promotional marketing material and traditional stationery items (in both printed and digital formats) such as letterheads and ppt templates as well as the provision of a set of comprehensive brand guidelines.
In addition, we worked closely with the clinical services team and workwear supplier to design a collection of branded workwear for all the different clinical departments and front of house staff. We also provided support for the wayfinding sign system around the site, working with the contracted signage company.
One of the most important items was the raft of patient documentation needed by the hospital. Not only were there a lot of individual forms but it was important that their layout was carefully considered to ensure accurate, rapid data collection.
Outcome
Our work supported KIMS hospital to launch on time and establish itself as a provider of first class medical facilities using cutting edge technology in the South East of England. Feedback from patients receiving their information prior to appointments and operations was positive.
More importantly from a clinical perspective the time taken in the design and creation of the numerous forms that made up the various patient pathways got great feedback from clinical staff assisting them in accurately recording vital medical information.
Overall, the coherent application of the brand across all touchpoints resulted in the development of a strong and memorable brand for this new entrant to the market.