“You attract the right things when you have a sense of who you are.” - Amy Poehler
To look at branding as just a simple exercise in choosing a logo is severely underestimating the power that it can have on your medical practice. Branding is holistic and is essential to building a world-class medical facility.
Your brand is a representation of who you are – your mission and vision. It must be authentic, and built on a solid foundation, so it will stay true to who you are and evolve along with your practice.
A great brand for any medical space is one that is designed to elevate the patient experience by giving a cohesive message – from your logo to your interior design – a tangible representation of your practice.
Let’s walk through how interior design is integral to your brand as part of the overall patient experience.
First Impressions Last
Always put your best foot forward and design your reception / lounge area with intent since it is the first space your patients see. It is the best location to have your logo placed prominently in a position of high visibility for maximum impact. Ensure that your logo is well-lit and unobstructed.
The lounge area must be designed as a scenery that is consistent with the brand. Through the wall finishes, the decor, the furniture, create a sense of arrival into a space where the brand and experience will be tied together. Your patient’s journey starts here. Make it a positive, if not an excellent start.
Curated Character
Getting into character means staying true to your brand. It acts on the brand promise and translates it into actual design choices. Curating every item in your interiors reinforces the brand down to the tiniest detail so that nothing is out of character.
For example, in a glamorous plastic surgery practice you would remove as much clutter as possible and focus on making everything streamlined vs. a kid-friendly pediatric practice that would incorporate more playful pieces of furniture.
Colors and Imagery
Colors can greatly impact patient psychology. Your brand can be reflected in the interior design through the application of the colors or imagery that has been defined in your brand. It does not need to be applied throughout, but rather reserved for accents that gently remind you that these pops of color or a graphic image on a wall is a continuation of the experience that recalls your brand.
Branded Level of Care
As far as branding goes, your staff and team are brand ambassadors that work most directly with your patients. Making sure that their workflow dynamics and that their interactions with patients are carefully defined and planned for can help to ensure a positive patient experience.
Consistent Communication
Implementing a brand successfully hinges on consistency. Everything needs to come together – the visual elements, the interior design and even the experience – into one consistent truth. Interior design is the biggest opportunity to create that consistent environment where your brand comes alive and gets experienced.
About the Author
Mitra Silva
Ms. Silva is the founder and CEO of Simour Design, a medical interior design firm. She built a specialized team of designers that create intentional and transformational medical spaces for world-class clients. Simour Design specializes in plastic surgery centers, medical spas, and all areas of the medical field. Named by Ariana Huffington’s Thrive Global as an accomplished C-Suite executive, Ms. Silva designs for clients from Beverly Hills to New York City and everywhere in-between. For bonus tips and insights on practice design, visit our website at www. simourdesign.com.
