NextSense
Speaking the language of the senses
Supporting people with hearing and vision loss
Since opening in 1860, the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children (RIDBC) has been working with people with hearing and vision loss.
A lot changes in 160 years. By 2018, the not-for-profit had expanded to provide dedicated, innovative, and customised services for people of all ages. They’d added SCIC, the largest cochlear implant program in Australia. And their Renwick Centre had become an industry leader at the forefront of research, innovation and higher education.
We collaborated with RIDBC to rebrand the organisation in a way that would unify its services and people, solidify its position as a leader in the field, and create a better experience for anyone who interacted with it. Over two years, we worked closely with the Brand and Marketing teams to simplify a complex architecture, create a name that better reflected what the organisation is about, and develop an inclusive, flexible identity.
Now, as NextSense, the organisation operates under a Masterbrand that captures the best of the past 160 years and sets it up for the next 160.
Enhancing futures, today.
At its core, NextSense is a brand dedicated to enhancing futures.
Prior to our architecture work, the group of services within RIDBC were each making significant impact in their respective fields, but they were doing so as individual brands. By unifying these services under one Masterbrand, named NextSense, the organisation could operate more efficiently and effectively—while also building equity into a single brand. This makes it easier for NextSense to enhance futures for the clients it supports, the people who work for it, and the hearing and vision sectors.
The new name tells a deep, broad story. ‘Next’ signals the ongoing commitment to innovation at every level of service. To break down barriers, and to help support clients, their families, and the community in achieving their ambitions.
‘Sense’ is inclusive of both hearing and vision. It also speaks to the intelligence, empathy and understanding it takes to enhance futures.
Speaking the language of the senses
The new brand system is about people first—it’s high-definition, and led by accessibility.
Dots and waves represent sight and sound, giving the brand the tools to represent both hearing and vision. Bold, fun, AAA-accessible colours make sure there’s always a high contrast for people with vision loss.
The photography, illustration, and tone of voice have all been developed to put people front-and-centre—telling the stories of everyone who can enhance their future with NextSense.
We developed a new, bespoke typeface alongside type foundry, Family Type. Next Sans is hyper-legible, with each character individually optimised for enhanced accessibility.
The result is a brand flexible enough to connect with children and their families just as easily as it does senior cochlear implant recipients, master’s degree candidates, and volunteers.
Results
The NextSense launch event (March 19, 2021) was live-streamed by over 1,100 people. The rebrand launch campaign was covered by 42 broadcasters, with 22,864,052 viewing opportunities, and received a 97% rate of positive sentiment.
“The upcoming rebrand gives every one of us at RIDBC an extraordinary new opportunity to help write the story our future. Such an opportunity—where all eyes will be on us—happens once in a generation. This is our chance to set the course for the next 160 years.”
