Fresh design, straight teeth: brand and web design for Invisalign specialist London Orthodontic Clinic

Such is the ‘blank slate’ nature of a branding project is that every time we begin one, it feels like the first time we’ve ever done it. Yet I am consistently amazed at how the ideas soon start accumulating, building a new narrative and personality for our new client. But what if we’re designing for something that has never existed before? I can’t help feeling deciding what identity to choose might just be as daunting for the person who’s trying to figure out the personality and unique selling point of their startup. Today I’m telling the story of our work doing just that – creating branding and web design for Invisalign provider The London Orthodontic Clinic.

We’ve been working hard with their team on the launch and it’s really exciting to see beautiful premises on City Road, just adjacent to the City of London, which opened this past week.

What’s the best approach for a great new dental clinic logo?

For most dental clinics, a message of combined modernity and professionalism is going to be a great starting point. What I found interesting during the research phase of this particular project is the way in which new clinics also embrace concepts of convenience and friendliness. That’s true not only of their logo but also interior design, with airy, spacious, welcoming spaces being the standard. In fact the ‘exterior’ design of a clinic plays into this too, with a use of glass and clear signage adding to the idea of not just a reassuring, but also an approachable place.

In the case of the London Orthodontic Clinic, the brand is also built around their unique proposition. This new clinic is the first time that a dental practice in the UK has been one that offers Invisalign only. The clinic has to be an independent entity, as all Invisalign providers need to be, which presents a further interesting challenge. We decided to clearly present a clinic which has its own personality but has an extraordinary level of expertise in one specific product.

Our intention here was clear – to devise a brand identity which felt professional, premium and highly dependable, and has a highly specific design style but within that ensured that we let the ‘Invisalign-only’ message run as clearly as possible. In this sense, the project had more in common with our work for tech firms where  a feeling of the founders’ singularity of purpose runs through every part of the branding.

So when approaching a new dental clinic logo, my suggestion is:

• find a special aspect of the founders behind the practice which might create a sense of character
• consider a sense of the building where the practice is to be which is particularly memorable, associating the place and the personality
• some specific expertise or unique selling point – in the case of our project, the ‘first Invisalign-only practice’
• consider your target client base, who they are, or if they have any specific needs such as speaking a certain language
• the name: so many clinics these days are trying something memorable or unusual such as one-word names or something humorous – a far cry from somewhat daunting old-style dentists I remember from my childhood in the 1980s

What are the key criteria for great dentistry marketing photography?

During our research phase for the London Orthodontic Clinic project, a recurring theme was the way in which photos used in dentistry marketing felt so similar. There’s a sense that all photography in the sector had to be of people of a young age who conformed to a very specific, perfect look. Conversations we had about this consistently told us that look was potentially either barking up the wrong tree or even off-putting for cosmetic dentistry clients. In putting together the website content for this project, we were keen to offer a certainly aspirational but at times idiosyncratic feel to the imagery.

Something this project had in common with other healthcare work we’ve done – for instance on Bexa, or BeSure Testing, is a focus on people. These faces form the heart of London Orthodontic Clinic, and particularly when used within the web design for an Invisalign provider, they needed to reflect the diversity (age, skin tone, background) of their clientele. Which is a long way of saying: know your audience, make sure your new branding and website is the right fit for the people most likely to be interested in your product or services.

Key criteria we considered for the visuals within this project are:

• what is the age of the typical Invisalign patient – and can our photography better represent that demographic?
• could a more offbeat, fresher angle or approach to the images work – for instance, one that is more aligned with fashion photography
• can a sense of the brand be given by the colours of the clothing (or background) in the images, which in turn affects how that makes the website feel
• an even gender balance and a warm embrace of people from all backgrounds
• a sense of optimism for today and the future that comes from making a positive change in life

How should you approach your Invisalign-provider clinic’s web design?

Our approach to all our website design work is to begin by gradually building all the elements we need to do the job which can then work in harmony, bringing sense and balance to the design. In this case:

• First, we had decided on an attitude to the creative application type and colour which formed the basis of the branding;
• Second was our choice of imagery, which was a blend of carefully curated stock library images combined with original photos of patients and people within the clinic;
• and third, we had also commissioned an aerial drone video and custom brand photography around the clinic to give a real sense of place in the city.

A visual theme for the site that holds these elements together is a dental metaphor, namely the idea of elements on the page moving from uneven spacing to a more aligned place. Chaos to order, shall we say – very much the purpose of Invisalign. We applied this concept in a variety of ways, but most notably to the logo, which has displaced horizontal letterspacing as you arrive on the web page, then animates into a more familiar, perfect alignment. The same is true of the lines in the backgrounds of all the web pages, which start with completely disordered spacing, then move to a perfect mathematical grid in a subtle motion.

I talked at the beginning of this piece about a founder overseeing a process and that was definitely the case with this project where the blend of all these elements was guided by Alex, the founder of London Orthodontic Clinic. The entire venture in terms of the floorplan and interior design of the clinic has been based on his singular vision, so it’s hardly surprising that he would have a view on how the website would operate for a user. Working with him was a fascinating exercise and in particular we found responding to his approach to the clinic’s aspirational brand values very inspiring.

Next steps for dental clinic owners

The finished branding and website for London Orthodontic Clinic is a highly individual piece of design work that stands apart from its competitors but feels like an exciting place to be – much like the clinic itself.

If you run a dental clinic or are starting a new one, we’d be interested in talking to you about creating its new branding and website. We’ve extensive work within the luxury and healthcare sectors, and the London Orthodontic Clinic project is a great example of how those two worlds combine.

Whether you’re in the UK or work in the Middle East, we can work on designs from the clinical to the creative, depending on your brief and budget.

Call us on 020 7351 4083 or email us direct.

About the London Orthodontic Clinic project

Our portfolio page about the project

Visit the London Orthodontic Clinic website