Branding + Graphic Design
Podcast Branding
Sakamoto Labs at the University of Victoria produced a podcast called Call to Mind. The podcast explores stories about people’s shared experiences with dementia, including those of caregivers and guardians. It is designed to be on platforms such as Spotify, SoundCloud, and Apple Music.
My Role
Brand Designer
Team
1 x Designer (me), 2 x Podcast Managers, 1 x Research Head
Tools
Illustrator, Photoshop, Figma, Figjam
Duration
2 months
Overview
Call to Mind had a website and logo that did not accurately represent the values and mission of the podcast. The previous logo also failed to follow dementia accessibility guidelines.
The lab sought to create a visual identity that uniquely reflected the podcast’s voice and personality, while improving accessibility and visual representation.
The brand identity is centered around the themes of connection, community, and support.
The final deliverable is a brand book containing logo variations and guidelines for usage across different mediums.
Within the first three months after launch, the podcast saw a 45% increase in monthly listens, a 30% rise in website engagement time, and improved accessibility compliance aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This refreshed identity not only enhanced the podcast’s credibility and recognizability but also made it more approachable for listeners and caregivers engaging with dementia-related content.
Previous Logo Version
Podcast Listeners
Understanding who listens to the podcast is important in order to understand who the brand would be tailored to. The podcast is primarily made for people with Dementia, caregivers, and the extended community.
Market Study
Most of the imagery used in the logos is of the brain.
Colours like red, orange, and yellow do not work very well for people with dementia as it can be agitating.
Colour and Typography
Purple and violet are colours often associated with Alzhiemer's awareness. It is also a colour that represents dignity, wisdom, and united advocacy. Green is proven to reduce central nervous system activity and creating a sense of calm. These are the main colours of the brand.
High contrast, readable, simple, non-decorative fonts with a minimum size of 14px are recommended by Dementia Accessibility Design Guidelines.
Ideation
Logo Design
Podcast Cover Art
Challenges
Sacrifice of key process work due to a very tight timeline of creating a brand book and launching a live website in two months.
Lack of interactions and research with intended audience.
Iterations
Only two iterations could be completed as of February 2025.
Previous iteration of the logo had themes of listening, connection, and dialogue while following the same design language.
Future Scope
The website can be more comprehensively developed with sections like resources, events, and community engagement.
More variations and usage of the logo on more print mediums can be explored.
