Designing a Trusted Brand for CleftAlign’s Life-Changing Medical Innovation
Overview
CleftAlign® is dedicated to developing innovative solutions for Presurgical Infant Orthopedics (PSIO) therapy. As they prepared to launch their breakthrough products, LipAlign® and NoseAlign®, they needed a cohesive brand identity, product packaging, and instructional illustrations that would clearly communicate their mission and product functionality. I worked with CleftAlign to refine their company logo, create distinct branding for their two new products, and design packaging and instructional visuals that would support both medical professionals and caregivers.
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Branding & Visual Identity
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Logo Suite
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Packaging
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Illustrations
The Client
CleftAlign, Inc. is a startup committed to enhancing the care experience for infants with cleft conditions through innovative products. Their patent-pending NoseAlign device and LipAlign tape are designed to simplify PSIO therapy, reducing office visits while improving presurgical outcomes. CleftAlign introduced these products as part of PLANA (Presurgical Lip, Alveolus, and Nose Approximation), a groundbreaking approach in cleft care, first showcased at the 2024 ACPA annual meeting in Denver, CO.
The Challenge
CleftAlign needed a professional and approachable visual identity to support the upcoming launches of LipAlign and NoseAlign. The branding had to balance medical credibility with caregiver accessibility, ensuring the products were perceived as both clinically effective and easy to use. The product packaging needed to present a professional look while communicating function, while the instructional illustrations had to be simple and easy for parents and caregivers to follow.
My Process
I interviewed the CleftAlign founder and conducted market research to develop a strategic design approach. I refined the CleftAlign logo, developed distinct logos for LipAlign and NoseAlign, and created a cohesive color palette and typography system. For the packaging, I focused on clarity and ease of use to help clinicians and caregivers quickly understand the products. I leveraged my medtech design experience to refine messaging and strengthen branding.
For the instructional illustrations used in the IFUs, I referenced photos of infants with cleft as well as device renderings to create clear, simple line drawings. These visuals help caregivers easily understand the correct application of LipAlign tape and NoseAlign devices.
Results
The branding, packaging, and instructional illustrations I developed helped establish a trustworthy and professional identity for CleftAlign, ensuring their products inspire confidence in both caregivers and clinicians.
With both products now available, CleftAlign has gained recognition in the cleft care community, strengthening its presence through educational initiatives. Their PLANA Symposium, first held in 2024, brought together cleft care professionals to learn how to integrate NoseAlign and LipAlign into clinical practice and received outstanding feedback, leading to a second symposium planned for 2025. My design work has helped position CleftAlign as a trusted innovator in cleft care, supporting their mission to improve surgical outcomes and long-term results for infants.
We hired Sarita to do our branding for our product, EpiZact, and design our booth for our first conference. We wanted a very clean design, but also wanted to highlight our product. In the end, Sarita meticulously edited a photo of our product so it could be used as the centerpiece of our display. Sarita was great to work with as we were able to develop a cohesive look for our booth and marketing materials. We are very happy with our end product!
Mike Dolphin
CEO, GuideStar Medical Devices