ALS Therapy Development Institute
Unifying Research & Fundraising Through a Cohesive Brand System
Overview
Organization: ALS Therapy Development Institute
Role: Senior Designer, Brand & Visual Identity Lead (sole in-house designer)
Scope: Brand strategy, visual identity system, photography & art direction, digital & print design, campaigns, fundraising, sub-brands, motion, design systems
Duration: Multi-year engagement
When I joined ALS Therapy Development Institute, the organization’s brand was fragmented, visually separating its world-class ALS research from its nonprofit fundraising efforts. I led the development of a unified brand system that aligned scientific credibility with human storytelling, creating a cohesive identity that could scale across digital products, campaigns, events, and community engagement.
The Challenge
ALS TDI operates at the intersection of rigorous scientific research and community-driven fundraising, yet these two sides of the organization were visually disconnected.
Key challenges included:
A divided brand that treated the research lab and nonprofit as separate entities
Inconsistent visual language across teams, channels, and campaigns
A need to build trust with donors while maintaining credibility with scientists
Limited internal design resources, requiring systems that could scale
The brand needed to communicate credibility, urgency, and humanity.
My Role
As the sole in-house designer, I owned the brand end-to-end and partnered closely with leadership, researchers, fundraisers, and communications teams.
My responsibilities included:
Defining the core brand strategy and visual identity system
Establishing brand foundations including color, typography, tone, imagery, iconography, and motion
Leading photography and creative direction for research and fundraising storytelling
Designing across digital, print, campaigns, events, merchandise, and fundraising appeals
Creating and maintaining sub-brand identities within a unified system
Building a Figma design system to support consistency across digital products
Brand Strategy & Visual System
The core goal of the brand system was unification.
Strategic Principles
Science with humanity: Balance lab credibility with emotional connection
Clarity and trust: Design for transparency and accessibility
Consistency at scale: Create flexible systems usable by multiple teams
Visual System Components
Color palette designed to feel grounded, credible, and human
Typography system that balanced technical clarity with warmth
Photography style featuring:
Real scientists conducting ALS research
Fundraising community members and families
Illustration and iconography designed for clarity across digital and print
A consistent tone of voice aligned with empathy, urgency, and trust
Photography & Storytelling
To humanize ALS research, I:
Photographed scientists in the lab to document real research in progress
Creative-directed and captured imagery of fundraising events and community members
Established a photography style that connected people, science, and impact
This imagery became foundational to campaigns, the website, reports, and donor communications.
Brand in Action
I applied the brand system across a wide range of touchpoints, including:
Email marketing campaigns
Website redesign and digital UX/UI
Annual reports and promotional materials
Fundraising event branding and signage
Merchandise design
Infographics and educational materials
Social media and campaign visuals
The system allowed the brand to feel cohesive whether encountered online, at events, or in print.
Sub-Brands & Scalable Architecture
ALS TDI supports multiple programs and initiatives. I designed sub-brand identities that:
Maintained alignment with the core brand
Allowed each program to communicate clearly to its audience
Scaled visually across campaigns, events, and digital platforms
This approach reduced fragmentation while preserving flexibility.
Impact & Results
✓ The redesigned end-of-year fundraising appeal accounted for approximately 5% of ALS TDI’s annual revenue
✓ Improved brand consistency across teams and channels
✓ Strengthened trust with donors while maintaining scientific credibility
✓ Enabled faster, more consistent design execution through shared systems
✓ Established a long-term brand foundation that continues to support research, fundraising, and advocacy
What I learned
This project reinforced the importance of brand systems that are both strategic and deeply human. Designing for ALS TDI required balancing emotional storytelling with scientific rigor, while creating tools that could scale within a resource-constrained environment.
It remains one of my most impactful examples of brand leadership, systems thinking, and execution at scale.