Proving B2B Can Be Beautiful: Base Design's new identity for the SCDH

It's often assumed that B2B branding projects are, on the whole, not quite as interesting as their consumer-facing counterparts. And there's no denying that B2C brands have to do more legwork when it comes to standing out – it's the eye-catching stuff that attracts shoppers or prompts them to try something new. But just because something isn't shouting at you from the aisle in Asda or calling you, siren-like from an Instagram ad that has you mindlessly clicking 'shop now', doesn't mean it isn't interesting.

But while B2B and B2C each have different aims and challenges, this project by Base Design for The Swiss Center for Design and Health (SCDH) proves that B2B designs can be just as beautiful and dynamic as any and have to work just as hard.

Base Design – which has offices in New York, Brussels, Geneva and Melbourne – describes SCDH as a "unique, future-focused research centre and pioneering initiative that explores the intersection of design, science, technology, and health through innovative spaces, objects, and processes".

Established in 2019, SCDH is based in Biel (which is also incidentally the home of Swiss watch titans Omega, Swatch and Rolex and is often dubbed "the world capital of watchmaking") and operated by a multidisciplinary team which "focuses on the conception, development, and testing of new design solutions," Base adds. This largely involves creating full-scale simulations of hospital environments and devices "with precision down to the millimetre, creating prototypes in environments that replicate actual operational sites".

As such, it's not the easiest proposition when it comes to creating a brand. Its remit is tricky to understand for the layperson and highly specialised, "both a physical space and an area of expertise that remains unfamiliar to most," as Base puts it. "As the sole player in this niche market, SCDH faced difficulties in clearly communicating the breadth of its work to B2B audiences across all branding touchpoints."

When Base Design's Geneva studio was brought in to work on the project, it soon realised that the way SCDH was seen across its communication materials and website would need a considerable refresh to better position the organisation as a research centre. The brand also needed to work harder to highlight SCDH's competitive advantages while attracting new investors.

Working across the development of a new brand vision and communication strategy, Base Design first created a library of animated signs and schematics to symbolise all the activities and interactions within the centre's projects.

It went on to work on the creative direction of a suite of new imagery and films, working with SCDH on "cutting-edge" photography, shoots, and films. These showcase the interiors of the one-of-a-kind research centre, "illustrating how future medical facilities are designed and tested to solve real-world challenges," Base Design explains.

The last step was redesigning the SCDH website, which now focuses on accessibility to reflect SCDH's "ambitious mission to position themselves as a catalyst for scientific, social, and technological expertise, designing practical solutions for a healthier world," the agency adds.

The result is a new identity that does SCDH and its work justice. It effectively showcases its technological expertise and dynamic approach to healthcare in a way that not only looks good aesthetically but is accessible, clear, and, above all, does exactly what it needs to do—no mean feat for such a technical and complex organisation.