TARA
“Biosystems doesn’t sound human,” said more than one person with whom we conducted interviews to learn how we might position TARA, a company created to develop living human heart tissue from stem cells in the service of bringing more effective drugs to market safer and quickly – a very human-centric pursuit. Heart problems are one of the most common drug side effects that derail new drugs and the prevalent methods for testing – animals and human trials – are inhumane and/or dangerous. TARA bypasses both, allowing for true human tests without the danger to humans, and a reduction in the need for animal testing
Biotech companies typically land heavy on the tech, sounding and looking less than human. With that in mind we rethought how a biotech brand could look and speak, starting with a brand foundation that emphasized the human aspect of the brand and its mission. The original name, TARA Biosystems, was shortened to TARA, which is a reference to a region in Serbia with a unique indigenous tree, home to two of the company’s founders.
The most prominent brand artifact, he company logo, is made of a series of bent wishbone-esque shapes, a direct visual reference to the shape of the heart tissue TARA generates, and an indirect nod to wood grain patterns, fashioned into a subtle T. Coupled with an unexpected, elegant, flowing sans serif, the logo itself is designed to feel both technological and inviting. The supporting color palette introduces a warmth and friendliness further supported by the employment of an inviting and approachable iconography system designed to make sure a company with an inherently human pursuit reflects that humanity more authentically, and in the process help it boldly stand out from the crowd.
The long-term brand, storytelling and sensemaking partnership started before TARA officially opened its doors in 2014 was instrumental in raising the company's profile leading up to it's acquisition by Valo Health in 2022.
TARA
“Biosystems doesn’t sound human,” said more than one person with whom we conducted interviews to learn how we might position TARA, a company created to develop living human heart tissue from stem cells in the service of bringing more effective drugs to market safer and quickly – a very human-centric pursuit. Heart problems are one of the most common drug side effects that derail new drugs and the prevalent methods for testing – animals and human trials – are inhumane and/or dangerous. TARA bypasses both, allowing for true human tests without the danger to humans, and a reduction in the need for animal testing
Biotech companies typically land heavy on the tech, sounding and looking less than human. With that in mind we rethought how a biotech brand could look and speak, starting with a brand foundation that emphasized the human aspect of the brand and its mission. The original name, TARA Biosystems, was shortened to TARA, which is a reference to a region in Serbia with a unique indigenous tree, home to two of the company’s founders.
The most prominent brand artifact, he company logo, is made of a series of bent wishbone-esque shapes, a direct visual reference to the shape of the heart tissue TARA generates, and an indirect nod to wood grain patterns, fashioned into a subtle T. Coupled with an unexpected, elegant, flowing sans serif, the logo itself is designed to feel both technological and inviting. The supporting color palette introduces a warmth and friendliness further supported by the employment of an inviting and approachable iconography system designed to make sure a company with an inherently human pursuit reflects that humanity more authentically, and in the process help it boldly stand out from the crowd.
The long-term brand, storytelling and sensemaking partnership started before TARA officially opened its doors in 2014 was instrumental in raising the company's profile leading up to it's acquisition by Valo Health in 2022.
