Niall O'Kelly

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Having operated in Blue Island Illinois (on the infamous Chicago Southside) for 103 years, St. Francis’ Hospital was facing bankruptcy. It was taken over and renamed MetroSouth Medical Center, and the investors came to MSDS to handle this extensive rebranding project. I worked on the identity design and on the brand applications with Ryan Reynolds and Matthew Schwartz.

The clients wanted to distance the new hospital brand from the old one (which had prominently featured a crucifix-style cross) as it had too many negative associations. They wanted it to encapsulate their vision for the hospitals future, one featuring updated facilities, improved staff morale, an aggressive recruitment program for the best medical talent and a more stable financial future.

Having gone through many design rounds to seek the most appropriate representation for this vision, the clients settled on my design. This design is deceptively simple, comprising four intertwined and overlapping ‘M’s which link together at 90º to form a cross. The ‘M’s graduate in tone forming a colour wheel from bright green to a strong blue, which, with the overlapping areas of each shape included, gives 12 tones in total—four primary and eight secondary colours. The typeface chosen is Hoefler and Frere Jones Whitman, chosen for its solid yet personable forms.

This identity was recognised recently with an American Graphic Design Award in the Identity category. I also worked on a mini-site for the hospital, building on this brand.

Skills

IT Adobe Creative Suite Microsoft (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)	Crafts/Manual Typography Color Theory Print Production Photography (Photo-Direction) Psychology and Strategy Photography Coding / Site Development
Languages English German Irish	Other Sustainable design Brand Development Project Management Strategy Copy-Writing and Editing