The Baker Institute, formally the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, is an Australian medical research organisation based in Melbourne. Founded in 1926 as the Thomas Baker, Alice Baker and Eleanor Shaw Medical Research Institute, it focuses on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes, heart disease and obesity [1]. The institute’s visual identity has evolved alongside its name changes, most notably following a 2008 merger that created the current organisation [1].
Design and History
The institute’s logo symbol was originally designed at the agency Whale & Emery in 1960 [2]. The mark is described as an outline-style logo, and it has remained a consistent element of the institute’s identity over subsequent decades [2].
The organisation underwent significant naming changes that affected its branding. In 2008, the Baker Heart Research Institute merged with the International Diabetes Institute (IDI) to form the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute [1]. The institute later became known simply as the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, and it now operates under the shortened name “Baker Institute” [3].
In 2026, as the institute marked its centenary, it refreshed its brand identity. The institute described the update as reflecting “who we are today, a community of passionate scientists, clinicians and innovators who bring rigour and heart to everything we do” [4]. The refreshed identity was rolled out across the institute’s materials, including its website [4].
Meaning and Symbolism
The 1960 mark is classified as an outline-style logo [2], but no official source provides a detailed explanation of the symbol’s intended meaning. The institute’s centenary brand refresh emphasised “rigour and heart” as core qualities of its community, though this description relates to the organisation’s character rather than a specific visual element of the logo [4].
Typography and Design
Brand asset data lists the institute’s primary brand colours as a deep navy (hex #001F41) and a red tone (hex #B71234) [5].
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