Oncode Institute
Designing a cancer institute from the ground up
For the past two years, Momkai has been working on the launch of Oncode Institute. Together we’re creating not a new building but a knowledge community, one in which leading scientists work toward common goals: helping more cancer patients survive, improving the quality of life for those afflicted, and ultimately curing the disease.
Outsmarting cancer, impacting lives
We are proud to have designed Oncode Institute from the ground up – from the name to the full visual identity, from the tagline to the founding principles book, from the digital platform to the royal launch event. Every step of the way, we’ve worked in close collaboration with the Oncode team, the five Founding Scientists, and the four funders, who will invest €120 million over five years.
Creating from the core
Designing an empowering identity started with defining Oncode’s core principles in a strong, accessible manifesto. Clearly stating what we stood for enabled us to develop a powerful, future-oriented name: Oncode Institute.
The name fuses the word “oncology” with the aim of unraveling cancer’s genetic code while communicating the authority and unifying power of the institute. The accompanying tagline respects the complexity of cancer and amplifies the unique focus on translating research into practice: Outsmarting cancer, Impacting lives.
Designing to decode
Eager to tap into Oncode’s core purpose, we found inspiration in visualizations of the human genome and the irregularities that lead to cancer. We used abstraction and motion design to create a logo that represents Oncode’s aim of decoding cancer, the dynamics of the disease, and the institute’s unifying strategy.
The result is an ever-changing logo – never the same but always recognizable. We completed the identity by creating a color palette that sets Oncode apart from its peers. It’s a friendly set of colors that acknowledges and draws on Oncode’s Dutch heritage.
A royal opening ceremony
A visual identity comes to life in its application. For Oncode’s launch event, we deployed our design in a wide range of media, from scientists’ keynote presentations and the institute’s website (developed in-house) to business cards and decorations. Even Her Majesty Queen Máxima held our designs in her hands as she officially launched the new cancer institute.
