More than 27 million Germans are insured under the umbrella of the AOK, which also overarches a large number of independent health insurance companies. That is why the MetaDesign team had to show great sensitivity when creating and implementing a new contemporary, cross-media brand presence. In the focus of the project was an upgrading of the tree of life, the iconic AOK symbol. Another important factor was the development of a new custom font that would underscore the brand’s personality and be easy to read, especially in digital contexts. Weekly sprints and close collaboration led to the creation of a relatable brand design that precisely conveys the brand’s strategic positioning.
Red Dot: You also created a new font for the AOK – what function is it supposed to serve?
MetaDesign: The AOK has been looking after its insured for generations; it stands for closeness and relatability. The goal was to convey this brand character through a custom font that would, at the same time, ensure optimum legibility. When developing a brand image, the focus is often on the logo and colours, whereas the brand-defining effect of a custom font is often underestimated. However, investing in your own typeface can also make financial sense.
Are you getting closer to a new corporate design through digital or rather analogue applications?
A corporate design has to translate the strategic positioning of the brand in a coherent way and must work across all relevant touchpoints, which differ from brand to brand. For the AOK, the design has to work both digitally as well as in the local branch office. In other words, we don’t think in terms of channels, but of encompassing experiences. (Olaf Schroeter, Head of Creation, MetaDesign)
