Every so often, I get the chance to work on a project that really excites me, and that I consider a big deal… this was one of those moments.
I was contacted by The Open University to design a logo for a brand-new research initiative: The European Wearables and Biosensing Network. It’s one of those names that’s a bit of a mouthful, but the kind of challenge I love. It’s an ambitious project with a meaningful purpose, and since I’ve just wrapped up a case study for the project, I thought I’d also give you a more personal, behind-the-scenes look at how this logo came to life.
Let’s dive into how the project started, how I approached the design, and the thinking behind the final logo solution.
So… How Did This Project Land in My Inbox?
I know many designers reading this will be curious… how did I land a project with an organisation as big as The Open University?
Well, I hate to break it to you… but it’s not a very exciting story. Like most projects, it started with a simple email enquiry. We arranged a call, had a great chat, and things flowed naturally from there.
What was interesting, though, is that I was specifically selected for this job before they even reached out. The client mentioned she liked my honesty and approach, which is always nice to hear. I suspect my background helped too… my previous experience designing for GSK when working full time, and more recently creating logos for institutions like Cambridge University (projects such as the logo for Conservation Evidence) and Imperial College London, probably played a part.
Another key factor? Visibility. If you Google “Logo Designer,” chances are you’ll find me. Among the sea of search results, I like to think my site feels more human and approachable, which clearly resonated with this client.
The project might sound big and formal, but in reality, working with The Open University was just like working with any other client. Yes, there were a few extra steps like filling in supplier forms, but behind the scenes, it’s still just people working together to solve a problem.
Defining the Project Goals
As with every project I take on, the first step is strategy. Whether it’s a startup or a major institution, my process doesn’t change. I dive into research, ask lots of questions, and gather as much context as possible. If you’ve read my book, Make a Living Designing Logos, you’ll know the drill.
I sent over a questionnaire to understand three key things:
- The business and its purpose
- The audience they want to reach
- Their competition and what makes them unique
From the answers, I put together a set of project goals. These act like a compass, helping me make objective decisions and keeping things focused when it’s time to present the work.
Here’s an overview of what some of those goals looked like…
Project Goals for The European Wearables and Biosensing Network
- To design a logo for the European Wearables and Biosensing Network.
- To represent a collaborative network that aims to bridge the gap between researchers and industry in the field of wearables and biosensing. By joining the network, academic and research institutions will gain better access to funding opportunities and relevant job vacancies from industry and government organisations.
- Origin Story: Wearable devices that function as biosensors represent a unique and emerging technology. They harness recent advancements in microtechnology, nanotechnology, smartphones and communications, artificial intelligence, materials science, and more. These innovations hold strong potential for healthcare applications including monitoring, diagnosis, and therapy. While preparing a grant proposal, and searching for a European network offering information and data on wearables and biosensors in healthcare, they couldn’t find any, and that realisation was the main driver behind the creation of the network.
- Long-Term Vision: The vision is to shape the future of wearable and biosensing technologies across healthcare, well-being, and space applications. The network will offer a collaborative platform connecting academia, research institutions, industry, government labs, charities, and policymakers. Its goals include: Highlighting field-specific challenges, shining a light on overlooked issues, facilitating connections between stakeholders and sharing insights into current trends and emerging technologies.
- The logo should be:
- Versatile across both digital and print applications, including the website, social media, stationery, marketing literature, signage, and merchandise.
- Distinctive in the space of wearable and biosensor networks. Should similar networks arise, the networks point of difference will be their deep focus on specialised, cutting-edge research and the use of innovative, sustainable nanomaterials and technologies.
- Appealing to key stakeholders: academics, researchers, European government labs, industry professionals, and policymakers.
- Targeted at members with a strong interest in wearable biosensors, across academia, research, industry, government, charities, and policy.
- Where possible, the logo should communicate that the European Wearables and Biosensing Network is shaping the future of wearable technologies, developing policies for their safe evolution, promoting collaboration between research and industry, and delivering innovations with social, economic, health, and sustainability benefits.
- Key words the logo should aim to resonate with include: Innovation, Wearables, Biosensors, Nanotechnology, Diagnosis, Health, Well-being, Space.
- It is essential that the logo is designed with accessibility in mind.
Finding a Creative Direction
With the goals locked in, it was time to explore creative directions. This is never a linear process. Ideas often pop up randomly… when I’m laying in bed, having dinner, or picking up my daughter from school.
I always start in a sketchbook, but before putting pen to paper, I like to visualise what kind of logo the organisation should have. In this case, it needed to feel authoritative and institutional.
Given the length of the name, it was obvious from the start that a symbol alongside a wordmark would be the most practical and memorable solution. And, because of the project’s European focus, I ruled out monograms… it needed to be accessible across multiple languages. That left me with a pictorial or abstract symbol that could visually represent wearable biosensors in a simple and timeless way.
The Sketchbook Stage
Years ago, someone in the Logo Geek community shared a great mantra: Get the right idea, then get the idea right. That’s exactly how I approach every project.
Building on the earlier thought exercise, we’ve established that the most appropriate direction is to visually represent wearable biosensors. With that focus, I can now move into exploring ideas.
So, first things first… what do sensors actually look like? To figure that out, I jump onto Google and start searching for visual references. Any interesting shapes I come across, I quickly sketch down for inspiration.
Next, I ask myself: what comes to mind when I think of “wearables”? The most obvious answer is a watch. But in this context, we need to think broader… a wearable sensor can be positioned anywhere on the body, both externally and internally. So visually, we should be thinking about the whole human, not just one part. That’s when I begin sketching ideas in my notebook, exploring how the human form might be represented within a logo.
From there, I began mixing human forms with sensor-like shapes to find a symbol that made sense.
I’ll be honest… most of my sketches are terrible. But that’s okay. They’re not for anyone else to see. My sketchbook is like a dumping ground for ideas. Some are rubbish, others show promise. But the key is: I only need one good idea.
Eventually, a few directions stood out. Time to take things digital.
Developing Digital Mockups
Using my sketches as a starting point, I created quick mockups for the concepts that stood out.
Often, an idea might seem promising on paper, but once I begin translating it into a digital format, it becomes clear that it doesn’t work… whether it’s too complex, too generic, or simply not strong enough. In those cases, I can quickly discard the idea and move on. But when a concept holds up well as a quick mockup, that’s a strong indicator it has potential.
From there, I can confidently invest time into refining and perfecting it, knowing I’m building on a solid foundation.
I narrowed things down to three key directions:
- A circular design with eight arrows pointing both inward and outwars, forming a user shape at the centre.
- A simple human icon surrounded by radiating lines, symbolising data transmission.
- A segmented circle with a solid lower quarter forming a user, and zig-zag sensor patterns in the other segments.
I began by exploring the first concept: eight arrows arranged in a circle. I was drawn to this direction, as the central user icon also resembled the letter ‘I’, a subtle nod to “information” which I found interesting and worth developing.
However, I quickly ran into a challenge. When designed in a solid colour, the ‘I’ shape, and concept of a user, was lost. I’ve always believed a strong logo should work first and foremost in a single colour, so I explored various ways to solve this issue. Despite my efforts, the design often felt more like a flower or appeared cluttered. As a result, I made the decision to move on and focus my attention on the next idea.
The next idea I focused on was a user symbol surrounded by outward-projecting lines to represent a sensor. While there was definitely potential in this concept, it needed more refinement, particularly when paired with a rough wordmark, where it lacked the sense of authority I felt was essential.
That’s when I began experimenting with placing these elements within a hexagon. This not only preserved the lines, which effectively conveyed the idea of a biosensor, but also introduced kite-shaped segments. These could be interpreted as arrows pointing both inward and outward, symbolising data transmission, as well as people coming together, united by a shared goal, which added an extra layer of meaning to the design.
This direction immediately felt strong. It carried a clear sense of authority and confidence, and I felt it had real potential to become the final design.
That said, I still wanted to explore the third direction: the circular shape divided into four quarters, where one segment forms a user icon and the remaining segments represent a sensor. Even in its early mockup stage, this concept felt visually pleasing… simple and clean, but the execution wasn’t quite there yet. So, I kept refining…
My goal with this refinement process was to refine the idea down to its most essential elements, using as little as possible while still clearly communicating the concept. From there, it was all about polishing and perfecting the design.
This direction also had strong potential, so I felt it was worth presenting. My only hesitation was that it didn’t carry quite the same sense of authority as the other concept. Still, it’s a compelling idea, and I believe it’s worth sharing with the client for discussion.
Choosing the Right Typography
So far, I’ve focused primarily on the symbol, understandably, as it’s the more interesting and memorable part of the design. However, the choice of typography was just as critical. It needed to complement the symbol while being perfectly suited to the organisation it represents.
I was looking for something that conveyed a sense of authority… clear, legible, and professional. At the same time, I had to tackle the challenge of the name itself, which is visually long and somewhat visually clunky.
As a single line of text, it felt too long. Splitting it across two lines worked better but lacked alignment. On four lines, it became overly fragmented. I also had to consider whether to use all caps or keep the name case-sensitive… every option required exploration.
After hours of experimentation, I discovered that setting the name in two lines, using all capitals, allowed for subtle refinements. By adjusting the widths of certain letters, like the E’s, R’s, and P’s, I was able to create a stacked composition that looked balanced and visually cohesive. The tweaks are almost imperceptible, but they make all the difference in achieving a clean, harmonious layout.
To ensure versatility, I developed three additional logo lockups: one with the text stacked across four lines, one with the symbol above the stacked wordmark, and another with the name encircling the symbol like a stamp.
Presenting the Process and Final Design Choice
When it comes to sharing my work with clients, I don’t just present a finished solution. Instead, I walk them through the journey, much like I’ve done here, so they can see the depth of thinking, the exploration behind the work, and understand how I arrived at the final design.
I prepare a presentation document in InDesign, then record my screen, while talking through each stage of the process.
A key part of this presentation is building up to what I believe is the strongest solution. I may show and discuss multiple ideas that have potential, but I always place emphasis on the one design I feel works best.
I also include real-world mockups of that logo, helping the client envision how it might look in use. This isn’t just about presentation though, it’s also a good way to test the design, and question its flexibility and see if any refinements are needed to improve versatility.
Interestingly, in this case, I initially placed greater emphasis on a different concept than the one that was ultimately chosen. I believed the hexagonal solution discussed above had the gravitas of an international institution, whereas the circular design felt less authoritative. But through further discussions with the client, and additional refinement of the circular idea, it became clear that the decision to move forward with it was the right one.
The final design was clear, clever, and wonderfully simple. And simplicity is powerful. It makes a logo more versatile, more timeless, and more memorable. The goal was to create a symbol that captures the essence of Wearable Biosensors, and this solution did just that, beautifully.
Wrapping Up
The final logo manages to capture everything we set out to achieve. It’s simple, meaningful, and versatile, ready for digital and print, across Europe and beyond. It reflects innovation, science, and human connection, exactly what the European Wearables and Biosensing Network is all about.
I hope this behind-the-scenes look gave you a clearer picture of what goes into crafting a logo like this, from strategy and sketching to refinement and final delivery.
If you enjoyed this blog, if you’re a client, and want to work with me, reach out to me here.
…or, if you’re a designer, be sure to check out my book Make a Living Designing Logos, where I take a deep dive into my design process and share practical, honest advice on building a successful design business. From attracting clients and establishing authority to managing projects and navigating client relationships, I’ve packed in everything I’ve learned, so you can make a living doing what you love… designing logos.