Leva’s brand identity illustrates the realities of chronic pain

The visual identity for the UK’s first online chronic pain clinic has been created by London-based agency That Thing

Founded by a group of pain specialists and using a new treatment model that combines physiotherapy, psychology and medication, Leva is the UK’s first online chronic pain clinic, aiming to help people with persistent pain lead a better life.

While chronic pain is often misunderstood or handled badly, the clinic is counteracting traditional approaches with accessible help and realistic strategies that can be implemented at home. It is also pioneering research into new treatments for pain and is part of the Twenty21 project, the largest observational medical cannabis study in Europe.

Ahead of Leva’s launch, the team behind the clinic worked with London-based agency That Thing over a period of six months to define its brand. “Leva presented a great challenge: how do you create a brand that mixes a real caring humanity with expertise and rigour? We knew it couldn’t feel too soft but it couldn’t feel too clinical either. The result walks the line and is helping Leva to reach an audience that needs them,” says the agency’s co-founder, Joe Weir.

After naming the product ‘360 care’ and breaking down the treatment into ‘Mind, Movement, Meds’, the agency created a logo that reflected the clinic’s triangular approach to patients’ treatment. The rest of the design system is divided into two parts: soft and nurturing, and accurate and disciplined.

“Leva’s caring approach stresses the importance of gradual, gentle change, which we’ve brought to life with warm gradients and diffused auras. Our auras can be used as background textures, holding devices for photography, or as infographics to explain scientific detail in engaging ways,” says That Thing.

The agency also worked with the Leva product and clinical teams to develop their UX and content strategy. Everything has been designed with the needs of chronic pain patients in mind, from clear signage and guidance to empathetic language and relatable imagery.

When it came to the accompanying launch campaign, That Thing focused on one clear message: that Leva works with pain. Stylised animations are rooted in clear, factual messaging about the ways Leva tackles pain and offers support.

“To help evoke the feeling of pain, we reversed our design language and created a moody dark mode. Soft, free-flowing auras are contained within the typography, precluding the core ‘peaceful’ identity which becomes the pay-off,” says the agency.

thatthing.com