Brand & Editorial Designer
Psychiatry Partnerships with Northern Communities
Team:
- Jennifer Gagnon RGD Art Director
- Meleana Conquer Designer
- Ysabella Ocampo Designer
In late 2024, PPNC undertook a rebrand alongside a new five-year strategic plan. A two-year stakeholder consultation revealed a consistent gap: the program was deeply valued by those who knew it, but many who could benefit from its services didn't know it existed. The organization needed more than a new name. It needed an identity that stood out in a crowded healthcare space and reflected its values of equity, cultural responsiveness, and partnership.
Discovery surfaced a clear self-definition. PPNC isn't a grassroots community provider; it's a conduit, bringing psychiatric expertise into underserved areas through partnership and knowledge-sharing. The work also extended beyond Ontario, which prompted the client to refine their working name from "Northern Ontario" to "Northern Communities”. From there, three concepts explored different facets of the organization. The chosen direction balanced warmth and sophistication, drawing visual cues from northern landscapes and topographic patterns to connect place and practice. The "with" in the name became a deliberate highlight in the logo: a conjunction used as a statement of values.
The final system includes a bilingual logo, a forest-inspired palette anchored in deep greens and blues with brighter accents, a custom pattern derived from topography and brainwaves, and a curated photography library sorted into three usable categories: Optimistic, Empathetic, and Empowering. The brand kit covers PowerPoint, Word, business cards, and swag guidance, giving internal teams the tools to apply the identity confidently across community and clinical contexts. The 2025–2030 Strategic Plan was designed as the launch piece, with a raised emboss of the pattern on the cover to make the first encounter with the brand a tactile one.
The new identity gives PPNC a clearer voice in a sector where awareness is the first barrier to access. It balances academic credibility with the warmth and humility the work requires, and it gives the organization a foundation it can grow into as it expands its reach across northern Ontario and beyond.