Tackling Healthcare Inequalities
2021- now
In 2021 the Royal Society of Medicine and NHS England created Tackling Health Inequalities (originally Tackling Inequalities), an initiative that is designed to run for at least 5 years, and bring together clinicians and and policy makers to address one of our society’s biggest problems. This programme consists of one yearly day long conference that takes over the whole RSM venue, along with webinars and research papers throughout the year.
The brief was to create a mini-identity for the programme that would stand the test of time to last the full five years of the programme, but that would sit within the RSM brand guidelines.
This identity would then be used on all assets related to the series in print and digital to market the event, along with graphics to be used on the day and post event briefing material.
Creative Direction
The strategic approach behind the programme is the Core20PLUS5 concept. This identifies the 5 clinical areas that require accelerated improvement (these are maternity, severe mental illness, chronic respiratory disease, early cancer diagnosis, and hypertension case-finding), the Core20 represents the most deprived 20% of the national population identified by the national Index of Multiple Deprivation, and the PLUS is the demographic population most effected by inequalities.
For the identity I decided to concentrate on the Core 20 part of this. From the outset I knew this needed some kind of graphic device, and as this would be a multi channel campaign, animation was considered from the outset so that it could be used on the video content that would be produced and on the day of the event as the backdrop on stage, as well as working as a static logo.
The 20% was always something I wanted to work with, and I experiment with different ways of visualising these people being taken away - both as a conventional logo and in more illustrative mockups.
Final Idea
The corporate nature of the event meant that a conventional logo was the preferred route for both the RSM and NHS, so for the final execution I decided to go with a simple heart shape (representing health) made up of circles. 80% of these circles are the RSM red (showing the programmes parent brand), but 20% of them are grey – illustrating the 20% of the population that are being deprived (but also being one of the RSM’s core colours).
This could then be simply animated to show the 20% drifting away, and then being brought back to gather, illustrating the inequalities being resolved. This was then used on social media and as the stage backdrop during the event
Tackling Health Inequalities timeline |1842-2025
In collaboration with the library, we produced this chronology of how health inequalities in the UK have been addressed in the past, focussing on government policies and the work of notable RSM members work in this area. The content is quite dry so a big part of the project was to make the information accessible and interesting, to help inform policy makers of how to not repeat mistakes of the past.
The timeline is regularly updated and then showcased around the venue at the event and on social media. The full up to date timeline can be viewed here.
Event Photography
As a keen photographer, I bring a reportage-style photographic approach to every event. I focus on candid, behind-the-scenes moments that reveal the real story: the human connections, the emotions, and the dedication of people working to make a difference.
Photography, to me, is an essential part of any creative’s toolkit. It allows me to connect with delegates and members, and to observe first-hand how the event operates from a logistical perspective.
These images also serve as a historical record of each event, they are used in post-event materials and play a key role in marketing the following year’s event - helping to visually illustrate the impact of the event. Here’s a selection of photography I have taken at these events.
Post event write up
Outcomes
The Tackling Healthcare Inequalities programme has seen strong engagement with two sold-out conferences to date. The mini visual identity I created has remained in use across all campaign materials (albeit with a slight change to the name) and has helped reinforce a consistent and professional look and feel across all materials.
Most importantly, the project aligns with a personal and professional passion of mine: using design to help people. Knowing that this work supports clinicians and policymakers in driving real change gave me a deep sense of purpose and job satisfaction.
