By Lauren McGrath
At Hearing Health Foundation (HHF), science never stops, not even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our supporters, HHF has remained the largest nonprofit funder of hearing and balance research in the U.S. and a leader in driving new innovations and treatments for people with hearing loss, tinnitus, and other hearing disorders.
HHF-funded projects at labs nationwide have marched on with meaningful results, all while we increased the size and quality of our grant applicant pool, launched a webinar series, and appointed a new scientific director of the Hearing Restoration Project. In addition, we retained top ratings from all charity watchdogs including a 4-Star rating from Charity Navigator, a platinum rating from Guidestar, and an A+ rating from CharityWatch.
Above: HHF’s new primary logo boasts strongly contrasting colors to send vivid messages of balance, growth, and trust. Below: Refreshed designs for Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) and Emerging Research Grants (ERG) unify our research programs with distinct identifies.
The pandemic also afforded us an opportunity to assess and refresh our visual identity. To uphold and better communicate our commitments to excellence and innovation, we took time in 2020 to brighten our logos and color palettes for HHF and our research programs, the Hearing Restoration Project (HRP) and Emerging Research Grants (ERG).
To do so, we asked ourselves these questions: What messages should our branding convey? How can our visual identity inclusively serve the needs of all constituents? How can our branding evolve to not only pay homage to our 60+ year history but also help us grow in the years ahead?
The result is branding that reflects our ambition to fund cutting-edge research and to make hearing health treatments and prevention top of mind for everyone, no matter their age, gender, location, or circumstances.
Sending a Vivid Message
The logo’s fresh colors of violet and teal affirm our responsibility to all constituents while communicating our commitment to balance, growth, and trust. The font and design are crisp and modern, consistent with our mission of progress through research.
Representing an Inclusive and Dynamic Mission
We retained a font that is easy to read and prioritized a stronger contrast among the colors. The logo design can be interpreted in multiple ways, echoing how the individual hearing health condition is subjective, with no two experiences alike. Similarly, research findings are dynamic, ever-evolving, and inform multiple scientific questions.
Continuity and Respect for Our Rich History
Having given life to so many prominent advances in hearing and balance research since 1958, HHF remains committed to the preservation of our history in our communications.
We’ve retained the tagline “Prevention / Research / Cure,” and the use of teal and violet are nods to the blue in our previous visual identities.
The Bigger Picture
This announcement is about more than just new colors, fonts, and designs. It’s about inspiring the public to embrace a proactive approach to hearing health while underscoring the ongoing need for forward motion in scientific research. Look for our new visual identity across our website, on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn), and in the Spring 2021 issue of Hearing Health magazine.
Lauren McGrath is HHF’s director of marketing and communications.
More Hearing & Balance Research News and Events
The Emerging Research Grants program is a competitive process that awards grants to only the most promising investigators. Recipients are exceptionally well-positioned to secure subsequent funding from major federal funders. In fact, ERG awardees (2002–present) have gone on to be awarded an average of $59 in federal research funding for every dollar of their ERG grant.