Roche, the Swiss healthcare company founded in Basel in 1896, has used a hexagonal logo since 1971. The mark combines the Roche wordmark with a hexagon, an element that has been redrawn and refined multiple times over the decades. The current identity, developed by the design consultancy Pentagram, centers on this iconic logo and a bespoke typeface system.
Design and History
The first hexagon logo was introduced in 1971 and has been slightly adapted multiple times since then.[1] Roche’s previous brand concept was implemented in 1996. By the time Pentagram was engaged, that system showed major gaps when applied digitally, and on a strategic level it did not support the company’s vision for “One Roche,” which called for a more unified appearance.[1]
Pentagram and Roche collaborated to design a new brand identity for the global healthcare organization.[1] The new logo uses a condensed version of the custom Roche typeface commissioned for the brand evolution. Influenced by the letterforms of the previous Roche logo, the wordmark was placed back into a redrawn hexagon. These new letterforms have more open counters, which allow the logo to work seamlessly at different scales, particularly within the digital space.[1]
Design has always played an important part in Roche’s offer, and its archive contains many examples of the pioneering Swiss Style. This legacy inspired the subtly evolved look and feel of the new Roche brand.[1]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Roche logo features a unique 49-degree angle found in the hexagon. A gradient style was introduced into the brand toolkit as a way to use color in a human but sophisticated way, with the gradients mimicking this angle.[1] A keyline system influenced by the Roche logo, based on the hexagon and its geometry, creates a graphic language that is unmistakably Roche.[1]
Typography and Design
To further differentiate Roche from other healthcare brands, an elegant and versatile bespoke typeface was created. Roche Sans and Roche Serif were designed with a nod to the past, the requirements of the present and to last well into the future.[1] The typeface was developed in collaboration with Colophon Type Foundry.[1]
The “Roche Blue” is now a more vibrant, richer shade of blue, and a broader palette was created, taking the Roche brand from a blue and grey tonal landscape to a more vibrant, human and warm tonal range.[1]
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