Background

The work of St John of God was started by John Cidade in the 1550s. Inspired by St John of Avila’s preaching his cruel and harsh treatment in the Royal Hospital in Granada, John vowed to devote his life to those who were suffering and look after them with love and compassion. He began to attract others who wanted to help him to look after those in need. After his death, his followers were recognised as a religious order and called the Hospitaller Brothers of St John of God.

The work that John began continues in 52 countries in the world including Ireland. Every day, St John of God support thousands of people across their services to realise their potential and possibility through hospitality, accessible services, advocacy and leadership across all St John of God Services. The sheer scale and depth of their often-unseen work is humbling.

St John of God follows a path of hospitality, compassion, and respect, and these are unshakeable values that underpin everything they do.

The Idea

St John of God was born in the Spanish city of Granada. Granada is the Spanish word for ‘pomegranate’ and the city uses the fruit as its symbol. The pomegranate is also a central element in the St John of God brand as it represents charity and hospitality, and the bursting fruit expresses the need for love to expand. Our task was to reimagine the pomegranate for a contemporary organisation and to further draw out its meaning and how it represents the spreading of love and support.

The support that St John of God provide people that helps them realised their potential and possibility inspired our design approach and is conveyed through the pomegranate and the broad, supportive leaves beneath the pomegranate. The inner seeds of the fruit represent both the hospitality that is core to St John of God and the range of services they provide. The seeds also form a subtle cross – a link to the organisation’s heritage. St John of God is set in a modern, friendly typeface. The characters celebrate the beauty of being imperfect and have a warm, human feel. The lockup is modern and adaptable to multiple platforms.

The new brand has a warm, fresh, contemporary and supportive feel that speaks to an organisation that is reflective of modern society and its attitudes, proud of where it comes from and supports thousands of people across their services to realise their potential and possibility.

Execution

The visual language is dynamic and flexible. The seeds of hospitality are used as a graphic element throughout the brand to represent services and to demonstrate stepping stones to reaching full potential. A symbol of growth, compassion and support within St John of God.

We have further emphasised the idea of hospitality and inclusion through the introduction of a new accessible symbol to represent the brand - an open door. The archway created by the open door represents services and support that is open to all – showing St john of God as a welcoming, inclusive organisation. The archway of the open door is used as a framing device for images or a pathway for text to follow. The colour palette is modern and vibrant, reflecting potential, momentum and speaking up. There is a range of soft and bright tones to help the brand speak to diverse audiences.