The Fuse Identity

The Fuse Identity

Medium: Integrated
Company: McKesson / RelayHealth
Role: Design Direction, Brand Strategy, Identity Design
Year: 2017

Medium: Integrated
Company: McKesson / RelayHealth
Role: Design Direction, Brand Strategy, Identity Design
Year: 2017

Challenge:
Design a complete visual identity system from which to express the strategic brand experience for the Fuse platform—one that rendered equally well for user interface design and conventional marketing communication platforms.

Solution:
Once the philosophy and design of the logo were settled, I was able to execute on building the supporting visual elements that would engender the target customer experience. The research and discovery associated with the logo development process heavily influenced my approach, but it was the need for the brand's fluency with the user interfaces and data presentations that were the real driver. In the end, I created a collection of elements that effectively expressed the new brand on both sides of the computer screen.

Challenge:
Design a complete visual identity system from which to express the strategic brand experience for the Fuse platform—one that rendered equally well for user interface design and conventional marketing communication platforms.

Solution:
Once the philosophy and design of the logo was settled, I was able to execute on building the supporting visual elements that would engender the target customer experience. The research and discovery associated in the logo development process heavily influenced my approach, but it was the need for the brand's fluency with user interface and data presentation that was the real driver. In the end, I created a collection of elements that effectively expressed the new brand on both sides of the computer screen.

One of the primary ways I linked the Fuse identity to the parent RelayHealth brand was through color. I adopted most of the original palette, augmenting it with new tints and shades, as well as an additional color, aqua.
 

One of the primary ways I linked the Fuse identity to the parent RelayHealth brand was through color. I adopted most of the original palette, augmenting it with new tints and shades, as well as an additional color, aqua.
 

This created a wider pool from which to draw and devleop an overall engaging identity, as well as afford  the development of specific experiential tones along the customer journey.

This created a wider pool from which to draw and devleop an overall engaging identity, as well as afford  the development of specific experiential tones along the customer journey.

Part of the strategic communication plans for Fuse was parsing out its primary feature set—interoperability, storage, scalability and curation of health data—and establishing a more distinct customer experience subset for each. I addressed this by creating a spectrum of logos that would reflect each communication setting using the color palette to inform the design.

Part of the strategic communication plans for Fuse was parsing out its primary feature set—interoperability, storage, scalability and curation of health data—and establishing a more distinct customer experience subset for each. I addressed this by creating a spectrum of logos that would reflect each communication setting using the color palette to inform the design.

Besides versions designed for light or dark backgrounds, I created a tinted, utility set intended for information graphics and similar instances where the Fuse logo was better presented in a recessive visual state.

Besides versions designed for light or dark backgrounds, I created a tinted, utility set intended for information graphics and similar instances where the Fuse logo was better presented in a recessive visual state.

At its core, Fuse is a data platform with requirements beholden to user-interfaces and data presentation. With this in mind, I researched fonts that would render well at all scales, from mobile screens to billboards.

At its core, Fuse is a data platform with requirements beholden to user-interfaces and data presentation. With this in mind, I researched fonts that would render well at all scales, from mobile screens to billboards.

Due to its expansive character set, designed to eliminate "tofu" box substitution for missing characters, and it's inherent humanistic feel, the san-serif variant of the Google-designed font, Noto, was chosen.

Due to its expansive character set, designed to eliminate "tofu" box substitution for missing characters, and it's inherent humanistic feel, the san-serif variant of the Google designed font Noto was chosen.

The same conditions around scalability and legibility were also applied in developing an icon library for Fuse, with both developers and marketers using the library equally. It required a wide range of mutability to convey basic ideas around functionality and the more complex and proprietary aspects of the platform.

The same conditions around scalability and legibility were also applied in developing an icon library for Fuse, with both developers and marketers using the library equally. It required a wide range of mutability to convey basic ideas around functionality and the more complex and proprietary aspects of the platform.

We acquired a massive catalog of glyphs that fulfilled all our needs. It included both requisite user-interface elements and conceptual ideograms for marketing communications, and provided a superb foundation to custom design industry-specific graphics it did not include.

We acquired a massive catalog of glyphs that fulfilled all our needs. It included both requisite user-interface elements and conceptual ideograms for marketing communications, and provided a superb foundation to custom design industry-specific graphics it did not include.

To further develop a distinct set of visual experiences around the feature set of Fuse, I created a series of five representative graphic patterns. As with the hexagon deconstructive grid that informed the logo design, I made a further sub-divided version that would act as the baseline structure of the pattern framework.

To further develop a distinct set of visual experiences around the feature set of Fuse, I created a series of five representative graphic patterns. As with the hexagon deconstructive grid that informed the logo design, I made a further sub-divided version that would act as the baseline structure of the pattern framework.

Inspired by the unique tesselative qualities of a hexagon grid and the nature of snowflake formation, I designed seamless abstract patterns that each reflected an aspect of the Fuse feature set in addition to one that would represent the overall platform. Utlizing the full color palette, I then created diverse combinations of each appropriate for different communication settings. 

Inspired by the unique tesselative qualities of a hexagon grid and the nature of snowflake formation, I designed seamless abstract patterns that each reflected an aspect of the Fuse feature set in addition to one that would represent the overall platform. Utlizing the full color palette, I created diverse combinations of each appropriate for different communication settings.

Process for constructing feature-influenced patterns

Process for constructing feature-influenced patterns

Final pattern library for the Fuse feature suite

Final pattern library for the Fuse feature suite

The Fuse brand imagery needed to be vibrant, energetic, and future-forward, abstractly portraying the new frontiers of a data-driven healthcare industry.

The Fuse brand imagery needed to be vibrant, energetic, and future-forward, abstractly portraying the new frontiers of a data-driven healthcare industry.

Because literal portrayal of the platform itself was difficult, I selected imagery evocative of the brand voice and tone for different stages in the customer journey, and the intended emotional state specific to each step.

Because literal portrayal of the platform itself was difficult, I selected imagery evocative of the brand voice and tone for different stages in the customer journey, and the intended emotional state specific to each step.