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Axotan:
Care visualised.

Axotan is a growing Swedish company, their field is consumables with focus on stoma and wound care products. As an Art Director at W Communication Agency, I developed a completely new visual identity, that would differentiate them from their competitors and match their ambition to grow.

Looking at the visual material that existed my reflection was:

  • 90% of the visual material is strongly connected to the main product brand, what happens with a more diversified product portfolio in the future?
  • The logo and symbol have legacy, tracing back to a family business, but is that relevant for the customers?
  • Inconsistent usage of the logo color and other colors mostly tied to products. How could colors play a more vital role for the brand?
  • The brand does not stand out when looking at the competitors. How could it both fit in and stand out among competitors?
  • How could Axotan visually express being a more confident player and at the same time show true care?
Axotan Brand2 Before

My process and solution

Axotan used the visual guidelines from one of their biggest selling brand. My conclusion was that they needed a complete rebranding to be able to fully stand on its own.

Safe, friendly, inclusive, and caring were characteristics describing Axotan in interviews with healthcare professionals. This was used to guide the visual expression – in combination with the need to be more confident.

Logo

The logo needed to be totally reconsidered and the symbol was my starting point. I created a circular symbol that relates to the products and also serves as the letter o in the name. The symbol would also become a visual identifier, played out in multiple ways and in different channels. The typography in the logo should reflect confidence with a soft note.
Before After Logo

Colors

The blue colors were partly a heritage, and the new purple shades added a calm and caring touch. Axotan wanted the flexibility to choose between one logotype dominated by blue and one dominated by the purple color without losing the consistency. To enforce the overall brand expression, the colors could also be sensed in the images.

Typography

The slab serif font Tisa was chosen for being steady, yet swift and unpretentious.
Moodboard

Images

Photos should be direct, confident and friendly. To complement the photos I also suggested illustrations that would de-stigmatize and empower the life for the end user. This would also be something that would differentiate Axotan from the competitors.
It’s a brief brand guideline. However, with all the elements, the brand communicates personality and care, and it’s a brand that now stands out among the competitors.

I've also created a visual direction for social media and been consulting in the design of the web page.
Axotan Brand5[1]