BRANDING FOR A PHYSICAL THERAPY CLINIC

When physical therapist Dr. Colleen Gest launched Foundations Physical Therapy, I developed a visual identity and marketing materials for her independent pelvic and perinatal health practice in Flagstaff, Arizona. The goal was to create a brand that felt warm, approachable and inclusive while still conveying the professionalism and expertise of a specialized healthcare practice.

Foundations provides physical therapy for people of all ages and genders with pelvic floor conditions, as well as care during and after pregnancy. Equity and accessibility are central to the practice, with an emphasis on creating a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ patients and people from communities that have historically been underserved in healthcare.

DEVELOPING THE VISUAL IDENTITY

For the logo, I paired a vector line drawing of the bones of the human pelvis with watercolor washes in Procreate. The resulting mark is anatomical enough to immediately suggest pelvic health, but deliberately avoids feeling sterile or overly medical. The watercolor textures, luminous colors and hand-drawn NeoRetro typography give the identity an organic, human quality that reflects the clinic’s welcoming approach to care.

I developed a complete identity system around the primary logo, including horizontal and reduced-size configurations, alternate one-color treatments, a favicon, typography, color specifications and guidelines for maintaining consistency across print and digital applications. The guidelines also established how the logo should adapt to dark backgrounds, grayscale reproduction and very small spaces, allowing the identity to remain recognizable across applications ranging from large-format signage to a browser tab.

FROM BRANDING TO MARKETING

I extended the visual identity across the clinic’s marketing and communications, designing business cards, signage, letterhead, flyers and other print materials, as well as digital assets and the clinic’s website.

For business cards and promotional materials, I developed a series of simple line illustrations and short messages highlighting the practice’s services and values—from pregnancy and pelvic-floor care to healing, sustainability, anti-racism and gender-affirming care. White line drawings over layered watercolor backgrounds allowed individual pieces to vary while still feeling like part of the same visual system.

I also designed the Foundations Physical Therapy website, carrying the branding into a digital presence where prospective patients could learn about pelvic physical therapy, explore services and schedule care. The site needed to communicate sensitive health information in a way that felt clear and professional while reinforcing that patients of different genders and backgrounds were welcome.

The project was an opportunity to combine branding, scientific illustration, healthcare communication, graphic design and web design into a cohesive identity that could work across everything from a building sign or printed flyer to a website favicon.