Going into the creation of a word mark for vital, I knew that I wanted to combine some form of symbol or icon with the word mark, this icon forming a motif throughout the branding. I began by pulling some sources of google of healthcare icons and universally understood symbols.
Healthcare Symbols and Icons
There are definitely some symbols here that could contribute to a successful word mark. There are some that are a bit ambiguous or not common knowledge which I will definitely stay away from. I want it to be rather simplistic as this will allow it to be scaled both large and small without distorting it’s legibility.
When it comes to creating word marks, I usually miss the sketching phase. This is because it’s quite difficult and time consuming to recreate the characteristics of a type face on paper, and the creation of a word mark is very much dependant on the type face and what way it sits on the page.
So alternatively, I placed ‘vital’ in sofia pro soft and got to work. I focused initially on colour. My first thought was to colour the logo in the brand’s main colour #0072CB, however I later found that a darker hue of #003085 was more impactful.
My eyes were initially drawn to the tittle of the ‘i’ in ‘vital’. I felt that it was a great place to insert an icon related to health. I initially chose the caduceus cross to sit above the stem of the ‘i’. I did quite like this and I think on a smaller scale it works quite well. However, I was very conscious that when it would be scaled up, the cross would become very overpowering. I was reluctant to make the cross smaller, as visually it made the most sense that the line width of the cross was the same width as the stem of the ‘i’.
I then experimented with a heart symbol. I recoloured this to the red in the brand’s secondary colour palette. While I really liked this, I just felt that it wasn’t exactly reminiscent of a health care brand and more a dating app. This was unfortunate as the links between ‘vital signs’ and the heart are strong.
The Star of Life is a symbol used to identify emergency medical services. It features a blue six-pointed star, outlined by a white border. The middle contains a Rod of Asclepius – an ancient symbol of medicine. Overall, the staff represents medicine and healing, with the skin-shedding serpent indicating renewal. The "Star of Life" has become synonymous with emergency medical care around the globe.
I thought this would be a highly applicable icon to the word mark. It is universally recognisable and impactful due to it’s unique shape.
The Star of Life Symbol
I began applying this symbol to the word mark. I instantly felt that this was highly successful. I initially experimented with the correct size of the star above the ‘i’, eventually deciding that a 2:1 ratio of width between the star and the stem of the ‘i’ was most appropriate. I also experimented with placement in the counter of the ‘a’. This wasn’t bad but not as strong as the other applications.
I then experimented with colour. It was at this point I realised that a darker hue would be more impactful with the contrast of the symbol in a lighter hue. I experimented with the reverse of this, and even pulling a red from the secondary palette. However, I felt strongly about one in particular. I enjoy designing in this way and placing my iterations beside each other on the page to see which one my eye is drawn to.
I felt that this was without doubt the strongest iteration of all the word marks I have created. It feels very impactful but also highly legible, despite the addition of a symbol which could have distorted it. I scaled it up large to asses the kerning and make minor adjustments.
Iteration 1