Rising Suns Pharmacy

A couple challenges that came up during this project were honoring Sarah’s request for accessible designs and then reworking their already well-established branding. What is accessible design, one might ask? “Accessibility in graphic design is the practice of making visual elements usable and understandable by a wide range of people, including those with disabilities (destinationbc.ca).” It’s understanding the difference between legibility and readability.

Type elements such as line weight, spacing and sizing are major. Furthermore, an effective color palette includes preset color pairings that are high contrast. How and where color is placed can control audience retention.

Rising Suns wanted to stay true to their original logo and colors because, together, they symbolize hope. I proposed they expand their color palette with varying shades of the purple, yellow and orange. I also proposed they switch their main font in all areas (handouts, website, social media posts) to Avenir. They loved the idea of utilizing shades and tints alongside a widely accepted accessible font to educate the community on charitable pharmacies.

We decided on color and font, only now, I felt the pamphlets were lacking personality. I truly wanted their content to be memorable while still following accessibility guidelines. Icons seemed like the perfect solution. My design partner and I each created a set of icons applicable to the world of pharmacy, but also applicable to Rising Suns’ message of hope.

Icons provide visual cues that simplify navigation and improve understanding. Icons are also aesthetically appealing and can make a brand appear more professional.

At the end of the semester long project, I was able to design and provide two information-packed yet easy-to-read pamphlets, accessible font choices, a refined color palette based off their original color scheme, icons, a website revisit with associated mockups, and social media post mocks. I especially enjoyed designing the pamphlets and icons because they both were of high-need. The icons advance Sarah’s accessibility agenda when we consider the power of symbols and iconography as guides. They can be used both digitally and printed. It’s never easy asking for help, so designing with accessibility in mind was super important to us.