Pentagram has designed a new identity for Remission Biome, a collective of patients, researchers, and advocates on the frontlines of chronic disease research. Originating outside the conventional healthcare system, Remission Biome represents a radical new form of patient-centered healthcare, with protocol treatments designed to work within a patient’s existing treatment plan. 

The group studies new uses for common, widely available antibiotics that can trigger surprising “remission events”—brief or permanent periods of symptom relief for those who suffer from chronic diseases. They can only be undertaken under the direct supervision of a patients’ doctor, and every step is documented and rooted in empirical science. Remission Biome is an initiative of the non-profit Renegade Research, for which Pentagram also designed the identity. 

Remission Biome’s identity was conceived to appeal first and foremost to the program’s core audience: patients themselves. Eschewing the normal tropes of healthcare branding, Remission Biome’s look is sophisticated and direct with a prevalent use of white backgrounds and ample negative space. The primary logo emphasizes the word “remission” and can be repurposed as a graphic device for additional messages. The wordmark and logo reference the idea of exponential change: glimmers of hope for the future of patients with chronic illness who can hopefully regain their full health through the program. Brackets and superscripts are also used throughout the brand system, harkening back to the scientific nature of the collective’s work. 

Integrated with the brand, Pentagram also designed a data visualization approach for patients using the Remission Biome’s protocol to track their own symptoms over time. Consisting of an overlapping framework of horizontal and vertical lines, the resulting visualizations illuminate the potential hidden correlations between things like sleep, exertion, pain, hunger, or nausea. The graphs can be hand drawn or generated digitally by participants.