BME Unite
Brand identity, web design, graphics
BME Unite is a bold community of activists in the Biomedical Engineering field. They recognize and strive to make real change to center margins in research. The logo, a rebrand of their old fist logo, abstracts the ideas that they stand for.
Overview
BME Unite is a powerful collective of academics in biomedical engineering (BME) who envision a profession that will equitably advance health as a right for not just some but for all of humanity.
The organization sought a refreshed visual identity that would better reflect it's bold mission. The existing logo that had been in use since 2020 featured a traditional handshake icon, a widely recognized symbol of unity, but lacked the distinctiveness and innovative appeal they needed.
Challenge
The client wanted a logo and visual identity that represented unity, science, and connection while embracing a more symbolic approach. The new logo and visual identity needed to clearly communicate BME Unite's values in a unique way.
Approach
To develop a meaningful design, in depth research was completed on the concept of centering margins by exploring articles and documentaries provided by the client. Market research revealed that scientific brands have a clean, innovative aesthetic, while social justice brands tend to have the opposite feel. They may feel innovative, but not in a clean way. Analyzing logos from the field of science and comparing those to logos that aligned with community and diversity ensured that the final design would fall in the correct direction of BME Unite's vision.
Once I had a solid foundation from my research, I began sketching a wide range of ideas, generating as many concepts as possible in the initial phase.
Design Refinements
The initial phase focused on generating a wide range of sketching, ensuring a broad exploration of ideas. The strongest concepts were refined and tweaked with multiple variations to push every idea even further. When refining the final concepts before send off, color, readability, scalability, and symbolic significance were considered.
Client Presentation & Outcome
Five distinct concepts were delivered to the client because they wanted to see a range of ideas from professional and refined to bold and "out there." Some members of the leadership team were nervous to move on from the old logo, so the presentation included an array of options that went from simple to bold. Accompanied with each logo was a description of its symbolism. The final logo and visual identity selection captivates BME Unite's bold mission of unity and empowerment.
Website
The website for BME Unite captures the visual identity of BME Unite while laying out all the information about the organization in a clear way. From events to information on the leaders, this website has it all. Check out the full design at bmeunite.org.
