Southlake Regional Health Centre

SOUTHLAKE REGIONAL HEALTH CENTRE—

Capturing an authentic healthcare community.

OPPORTUNITY

Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario is known for clinical excellence and community-focused care. Ahead of launching its five-year strategic plan, the hospital recognized the need for a refreshed brand that reflected its innovation, leadership, and people-first vision—supported by a clear, adaptable strategic design direction.

SOLUTION

The previous identity felt outdated and no longer reflected Southlake’s growth. Clear brand guidelines and a redesigned strategic plan emphasized clarity and consistency, aligning the visual identity with Southlake’s forward-thinking approach to healthcare.

IMPACT

The rebrand repositioned Southlake as a modern, people-first healthcare provider. Embraced across departments, the refreshed identity supports ongoing communications and offers a flexible foundation for future growth, reinforcing Southlake’s commitment to innovation, inclusion, and community care.

My Contribution

Design Lead/Senior Designer

Project Scope

Brand Identity and Guidelines
Campaign Strategy
Photography Art Direction

Credits

Studio: Forge Media + Design →

Creative Director: Stüssy Tschudin
Design Lead/Senior Designer: Meg Lynch

Senior Production Designer: Luca Sanguigni

Photographer: Jonathan Bielaski →

An identity rooted in compassion.

Southlake’s former visual identity no longer reflected its evolving vision for healthcare. The refreshed brand introduced a softer, more approachable palette of dusty greens and calming blues—tones chosen to evoke trust, wellness, and calm. Typography was selected for both clarity and warmth, striking a balance between clinical professionalism and accessibility. The resulting system feels confident yet human, designed to resonate with the surrounding community.

Original Identity

Revised Identity

Reimagining a trusted brand symbol.

At the heart of Southlake’s identity are two core visual elements: the symbol and the wordmark, designed in fixed proportions to ensure consistency and balance. The symbol represents strength, dependability, energy, and growth, qualities that reinforce Southlake’s commitment to forward-thinking healthcare built on trust and compassion.

A tagline that speaks to purpose.

The tagline “Leading Edge Care. By Your Side.” captures Southlake’s balance of advanced medical expertise and compassionate, patient-centred care. Positioned beneath the logo, the tagline reinforces Southlake’s commitment to innovation and connection, working in harmony with the identity to express what makes the hospital truly distinct.

Capturing care in every moment.

The photography art direction centers on the emotional depth of everyday moments, highlighting the simplicity of human connection within Southlake.

Images focus on real interactions between patients, families, and care providers, capturing the quiet strength present in each exchange. Shot by photographer Jonathan Bielaski, the imagery intentionally avoids staged or overly clinical compositions, instead reflecting the authenticity of care at Southlake.

Designing strategy with empathy and order.

To bring Southlake’s five-year strategic plan to life, a thoughtful design system was created to ensure the content was both accessible and inspiring. Clean layouts, structured hierarchies, and flexible modules supported a clear flow of information, while typography and colour aligned seamlessly with the refreshed identity.

Authentic moments with real impact.

In parallel, we developed messaging that acknowledged the many kinds of visits a person may have at a hospital, whether it’s a life-changing diagnosis, the birth of a child, a routine check-up, or an unexpected emergency. Each message reinforced Southlake’s commitment to being “by your side,” no matter the circumstance.

Realigning identity with purpose and people.

The success of the Southlake rebrand lies in its ability to humanize healthcare through thoughtful design and storytelling. By aligning the hospital’s strategic direction with a warm, confident identity, the project helped foster deeper community connection and internal pride. Today, Southlake’s brand serves as a meaningful reflection of its mission—delivering leading-edge care with empathy and unwavering support, always by your side.