Type Branding
A Font from an Eye Clinic?
B&VIIT Eye Clinic partnered with Sandoll to launch 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」, the first dedicated font created by a medical institution. But why would an eye clinic—a first-generation vision correction hospital that pioneered LASEK surgery in Korea—develop its own font? Beyond strengthening brand identity and communicating the hospital's philosophy more effectively, B&VIIT wanted to give back to their patients and break through the constraints of medical advertising. Their goal was to connect with customers in a more approachable and consistent voice.
Finding Brand Identity Through Process – The Workshop
Before diving into the project, Sandoll held a workshop with B&VIIT's designers—the people at the heart of the brand's visual identity. The goal was to understand the core values the client wanted to embody and develop a genuine, shared understanding of those principles.
There's a subtle but significant gap between abstract ideas and their visual execution. When customers think of B&VIIT, certain words and feelings come to mind, but translating those into concrete visual forms requires precision. Even something as simple as a circle can convey vastly different impressions depending on how it's drawn. The workshop aimed to bridge this gap and align our thinking with the client's vision. We explored what B&VIIT aspired to be and what they wanted to avoid, then calibrated our understanding by examining various market references together to gauge the right direction and degree.
From this foundation, a key insight emerged: "Exploring trendiness rooted in the trust that defines healthcare." With this in mind, we planned to build on a stable structural framework while conveying approachability and honesty to establish credibility. At the same time, we worked to strike a balance—capturing the industry-leading, contemporary feel B&VIIT is known for while achieving a gentle friendliness for their twentysomething audience that felt neither too casual nor too formal.
Defining Visual Identity – Prototype Development
Visual Identity Overview – Prototype Development
Despite this clear direction, our initial prototypes explored a different angle. We wanted to capture the precision inherent to ophthalmology—the meticulous nature of procedures like LASIK and LASEK. Some early concepts emphasized this technical expertise through stable, solid forms that visualized the "precision" representing the clinic's specialized capabilities and advanced technology.
*Visual Elements Expressing Laser Precision
Unlike other medical fields, the "ultra-precision" required in ophthalmology—where we're literally working with people's eyes—felt critically important. Vision correction surgery involves lasers calibrated to the micron level interacting with the corneal surface. We thought this could be expressed visually, capturing that sense of cutting-edge technology and industry leadership that defined the brand.
While these explorations with intricate interior details didn't align with B&VIIT's desired tone, leading us to quickly recalibrate, it's natural in the prototype phase to cast a wider net. As rounds of prototyping progress, we systematically narrow the scope.
Even concepts that aren't selected serve an important purpose—they help clarify the right direction. What gets chosen and what doesn't both carry significant meaning in their own way.
*Round 1 – Concept visualizing the curvature of the eye and cornea
Round 2 – Concept applying geometric forms with friendly rounded elements
Ultimately, we moved forward with a design that combined solid, stable structure with an aesthetically refined visualization of ophthalmic lens forms, and began developing it further.
Design Features of 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」
「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 isn't just another brand typeface—it's a font that embodies the philosophy and values of B&VIIT Eye Clinic. So what makes this typeface truly distinctive?
1. Sharp, geometric structure
- The overall form of the font is designed based on precise proportions.
- It creates a clean and clear impression, much like sharp vision.
2. Design elements inspired by the vision test chart (Landolt ring)
- Referencing the structure of the ‘Landolt ring’ used in vision tests, the design clearly expresses vertical and horizontal alignment.
- Through this, the meaning of B&VIIT Eye Clinic as “a hospital that helps people achieve clear vision in daily life” is also reflected in the font itself.
Landolt ring image source: Vision test diagram — Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science)
3. Soft, rounded forms inspired by the cornea and the eye
- Rounded forms motivated by the curvature of the eye and cornea convey aesthetic refinement and a sense of warmth in the letterforms.
4. A space-filling, square-proportioned display font
- Designed for use as a headline font, the characters fully occupy their space to create a strong sense of visual weight.
- It is engineered to deliver excellent readability in advertising and promotional materials.
In Closing – Body Text Font in Development!
While working on the 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 project, we felt that Sandoll and B&VIIT Eye Clinic share remarkably similar goals and pursuits. (We are looking toward the same horizon.) Sandoll values a world where anyone can express themselves freely, reaching a wide range of audiences through clear and accessible services. In much the same way that B&VIIT Eye Clinic provides clear vision and a better quality of life through vision correction procedures, the fonts developed by Sandoll aim to enhance text readability so that messages are delivered clearly and precisely.
Last December, we completed B&VIIT Eye Clinic’s dedicated font, 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」. We are currently developing a body text font designed to convey a more measured and composed voice and presence. This body font retains the core DNA of the display font 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 while featuring subtle rounded forms. True to its role as a body text font, it is being designed with a stable structure and high readability at its core. The body font that will pair with 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 will be released soon, and we look forward to sharing it with you.
When you type characters outside the 2,780 Hangul glyphs, these faces appear!
Type Branding
A Font from an Eye Clinic?
B&VIIT Eye Clinic partnered with Sandoll to launch 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」, the first dedicated font created by a medical institution. But why would an eye clinic—a first-generation vision correction hospital that pioneered LASEK surgery in Korea—develop its own font? Beyond strengthening brand identity and communicating the hospital's philosophy more effectively, B&VIIT wanted to give back to their patients and break through the constraints of medical advertising. Their goal was to connect with customers in a more approachable and consistent voice.
Finding Brand Identity Through Process – The Workshop
Before diving into the project, Sandoll held a workshop with B&VIIT's designers—the people at the heart of the brand's visual identity. The goal was to understand the core values the client wanted to embody and develop a genuine, shared understanding of those principles.
There's a subtle but significant gap between abstract ideas and their visual execution. When customers think of B&VIIT, certain words and feelings come to mind, but translating those into concrete visual forms requires precision. Even something as simple as a circle can convey vastly different impressions depending on how it's drawn. The workshop aimed to bridge this gap and align our thinking with the client's vision. We explored what B&VIIT aspired to be and what they wanted to avoid, then calibrated our understanding by examining various market references together to gauge the right direction and degree.
From this foundation, a key insight emerged: "Exploring trendiness rooted in the trust that defines healthcare." With this in mind, we planned to build on a stable structural framework while conveying approachability and honesty to establish credibility. At the same time, we worked to strike a balance—capturing the industry-leading, contemporary feel B&VIIT is known for while achieving a gentle friendliness for their twentysomething audience that felt neither too casual nor too formal.
Defining Visual Identity – Prototype Development
Visual Identity Overview – Prototype Development
Despite this clear direction, our initial prototypes explored a different angle. We wanted to capture the precision inherent to ophthalmology—the meticulous nature of procedures like LASIK and LASEK. Some early concepts emphasized this technical expertise through stable, solid forms that visualized the "precision" representing the clinic's specialized capabilities and advanced technology.
*Visual Elements Expressing Laser Precision
Unlike other medical fields, the "ultra-precision" required in ophthalmology—where we're literally working with people's eyes—felt critically important. Vision correction surgery involves lasers calibrated to the micron level interacting with the corneal surface. We thought this could be expressed visually, capturing that sense of cutting-edge technology and industry leadership that defined the brand.
While these explorations with intricate interior details didn't align with B&VIIT's desired tone, leading us to quickly recalibrate, it's natural in the prototype phase to cast a wider net. As rounds of prototyping progress, we systematically narrow the scope.
Even concepts that aren't selected serve an important purpose—they help clarify the right direction. What gets chosen and what doesn't both carry significant meaning in their own way.
*Round 1 – Concept visualizing the curvature of the eye and cornea
Round 2 – Concept applying geometric forms with friendly rounded elements
Ultimately, we moved forward with a design that combined solid, stable structure with an aesthetically refined visualization of ophthalmic lens forms, and began developing it further.
Design Features of 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」
「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 isn't just another brand typeface—it's a font that embodies the philosophy and values of B&VIIT Eye Clinic. So what makes this typeface truly distinctive?
1. Sharp, geometric structure
2. Design elements inspired by the vision test chart (Landolt ring)
Landolt ring image source: Vision test diagram — Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science)
3. Soft, rounded forms inspired by the cornea and the eye
4. A space-filling, square-proportioned display font
In Closing – Body Text Font in Development!
While working on the 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 project, we felt that Sandoll and B&VIIT Eye Clinic share remarkably similar goals and pursuits. (We are looking toward the same horizon.) Sandoll values a world where anyone can express themselves freely, reaching a wide range of audiences through clear and accessible services. In much the same way that B&VIIT Eye Clinic provides clear vision and a better quality of life through vision correction procedures, the fonts developed by Sandoll aim to enhance text readability so that messages are delivered clearly and precisely.
Last December, we completed B&VIIT Eye Clinic’s dedicated font, 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」. We are currently developing a body text font designed to convey a more measured and composed voice and presence. This body font retains the core DNA of the display font 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 while featuring subtle rounded forms. True to its role as a body text font, it is being designed with a stable structure and high readability at its core. The body font that will pair with 「B&VIIT LASIK Font」 will be released soon, and we look forward to sharing it with you.
When you type characters outside the 2,780 Hangul glyphs, these faces appear!