ME Support Logo & Branding Case Study: Dawn Lodge-Osborn - Logo and Print Designer in Auckland

CHALLENGE
Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), is a debilitating chronic neurological illness. Individuals with ME/CFS can experience years of being bed-bound, unable to work or perform basic day-to-day activities.

ME Support, a charity dedicated to assisting individuals with this complex illness, underwent a rebranding process to reflect the growth of the organisation and its expansion to support individuals with long COVID.

BRIEF
The first step in the rebranding process was to create a new logo that would embody the organisation's philosophy and values.

The logo and branding needed to evoke a sense of trust, protection, empathy, encouragement, facilitation, support, approachability, and independence. It also needed to convey the organisation's commitment to providing leadership, care, guidance, navigation, pathways, and hope.

The inspiration behind the new logo and the inclusion of a candle stems from the renowned nurse Florence Nightingale, who had one of the earliest recorded cases of ME. During her nighttime rounds at hospitals, Nightingale carried a lantern, which became a symbol of hope for her patients.

The logo symbolises Nightingale's lantern.

DESIGN PROCESS
Working closely with three board members, a range of concepts based on the lantern concept was developed. This collaborative process took longer than usual due to the varying opinions and iterations of different elements such as fonts, lantern imagery, and colours. However, it ultimately helped the clients focus their decision-making process and achieve a final result that pleased everyone involved.

Branding guidelines were established to ensure consistency across all collateral.

Other collateral, including letterheads, business cards, PowerPoint presentation templates, and a website, were created to complement the new branding.

SUCCESS
The rebranded identity has been well received by the community and has bolstered the organisation's reputation as a leader in supporting individuals with ME/CFS.