Kidney Buds
Year:
2025
Deliverables:
Brand Strategy
Visual Identity
Custom Illustrations
Industry:
Health Care, Paediatrics, Nephrology
Location:
Johannesburg, South Africa
Kidney Buds is a paediatric nephrology unit based at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The Head of Department needed a brand identity that could support their work with young patients & families — something warm, trustworthy & rooted in the science behind kidney development.
The Result
A friendly, organic identity supported by custom illustrations & a toolkit that can be confidently applied across medical and patient-facing materials.
Discovery
I mapped out key touchpoints for parents, children & health care professionals to understand where clarity & comfort mattered most.
Direction
I explored visual routes that balanced medical grounding with warmth — leaning into natural forms, soft type & relevant colour schemes.
Design
I created a custom illustrated logo inspired by early kidney development, supported by a palette of natural greens, soft neutrals and muted accents.
Extension
I rolled out the system across stationery, staff materials, patient items, illustration sets & communication template designs.
01. Designing for a medical environment that serves children
Challenge:
The identity needed to feel credible in a hospital context while still being reassuring for young patients and families.
Solution:
I used soft typography, rounded forms & natural colours to create a warm but professional tone.
02. Humanising complex medical concepts
Challenge:
The HOD wanted medical relevance without being too medically cliché.
Solution:
The logo & illustration system simplify nephron development into organic, playful shapes that feel friendly and easy to understand.
03. Ensuring the identity works across many touchpoints
Challenge:
The system had to function everyday touchpoints like letterheads, invoices, stationary and more casual items like T-shirts, bags and lanyards.
Solution:
I built a flexible visual toolkit with modular layouts, consistent hierarchy & scalable custom illustrations.
