Hormel Health Labs Brand Refresh

After consolidating their multiple web platforms and creating a more functional single environment for their online presence, Hormel Health Labs was ready for phase two of their website project: a brand refresh with a focus on their website / eCommerce business.

Hormel Health Labs was purchased by Lyons Magnus and is now Lyons Health Labs.

Refresh Goals

In phase one of the Hormel Health Labs website redesign the Attention Span team focused on function. The team, along with our development partners, worked to combine the company’s editorial and eCommerce sites while reorganizing dozens of page / pieces of content and implementing a cohesive, all-encompassing digital and eCommerce strategy. In phase two, it was time to focus on form.

The original sites had been designed with an institutional audience in mind. After some discussion with the HHL team the decision was made to try to target an at-home audience. That, in addition to pivoting to a more modern, friendly look, led me to begin work on redefining the brand.

Updates Made

A number of directions were explored, including a bright bold look versus a more naturalistic look with organic, muted colors. A limited palette versus an extensive one, layers versus flat design, etc. In the end it became clear that the brand and the site needed a few things:

A variety of colors to distinguish all of HHL’s many unique brands.
A unique set of related brand elements to add visual variety and link brands while giving them all their own style.
A more inviting header type, editorial and friendly used boldly throughout the site to attract users without distracting from the site’s products and great content.
Bright, bold colors used sparingly against large fields of white to reinforce the exciting possibilities of the products while still evoking institutional professionalism.

Icons and Wayfinding

In addition to introducing new brand elements, fonts, typefaces, etc, I also created a new set of icons for use throughout the site to add more visual variety and help users scan content more efficiently.