Revolutionizing Healthcare: Buoy Health's Innovative Visual System

Sam Ayling and Pencil Worx's Award-Winning Design for AI-Assisted Symptom Checker

When Buoy Health needed a fresh, humanistic visual system, they turned to Pencil Worx and Sam Ayling. Drawing inspiration from artists who used a continuous line technique, they created a clean, playful, and gestural quality in their illustrations. Each illustration in the system carries its own special twist, adding a unique touch to the overall design.

The healthcare industry was lagging behind in terms of technological advancements. Buoy Health sought to change this with their free, easy-to-use app. The app not only identifies with 97% accuracy what is making the user sick, but it also recommends what to do next and where to go for help. The real challenge lay in changing consumer behavior and mindsets regarding online medical support.

Every aspect of the brand needed to feel not just human, but super-human. The brand captures the founders’ deep sense of purpose to change the trajectory of human health. The voice is designed to sound like your neighborhood doctor. The visual identity is filled with rounded, human forms and free-flowing lines that guide the user along their journey to health.

The vector illustration art had to be highly flexible so that adjustments could be made if needed. This allowed the visual system to remain consistent throughout the entire user experience. The design tags associated with this project include brand positioning, logo, visual system, design, illustration library, and brand style guidelines.

Buoy is a digital health tool that helps you start your care on the right foot from the moment you get sick. The tool uses advanced artificial intelligence to resemble a chat with your favorite doctor. In just 2-3 minutes, Buoy gains a detailed understanding of your case and offers personalized options for what to do next. If immediate care is needed, Buoy can connect you to care providers nearby.

The project started in early 2015 in New York and launched in late November 2017. The design process faced some initial challenges with the logo design. The core team, mainly engineers, had a very technical mindset. It was challenging to present the creative aspects without a lengthy discovery phase. However, involving them early in the creative phase helped them understand the process better and made them feel part of the team.