000 Teaser milani design agency med el medical electronics audio processor hoergeraet corporate identity

Medical device design for MED-EL hearing implants and a new corporate identity

Milani designed a new generation of hearing implants for MED-EL as well as innovation concepts for hearing implants specifically for children. In addition, Milani developed a new corporate identity for MED-EL and applied it across all key touchpoints, from corporate brochures and stationery to packaging and the website, creating a consistent brand experience.

The MED-EL SYNCHRONY 2 cochlear implant system received the German Design Award 2020.

14 milani design agency med el medical electronics audio processor hoergeraet corporate identity2

Challenge: Translating medical technology expertise into product and brand

MED-EL develops hearing implant systems for people with hearing loss. Its products are technologically advanced medical devices as well as personal companions that users visibly wear in their everyday lives. The challenge therefore went beyond designing a new product generation. MED-EL needed a distinctive identity that would convey the company’s expertise and open attitude and work across both product design and brand communications. At the same time, the medical device design raised the question of how hearing implants could offer greater individuality and how they could be reimagined specifically for children.

Approach: From corporate DNA to a distinctive design identity

The starting point was MED-EL’s corporate DNA. Milani analyzed what the company stands for and how its technological expertise could be combined with its open, people-centered attitude. Based on these insights, the positioning was sharpened and translated into a distinctive design identity. This provided the strategic framework for the further development of both product and brand, placing a stronger focus on people alongside the medical technology itself.

17 milani design agency med el hoergeraet kinder productdesign innovation medicaldesign

Medical device design for a new generation of hearing implants and innovation concepts for children

Milani designed a new generation of hearing implants for MED-EL with personalization at its core. With the SYNCHRONY 2 cochlear implant system, this approach was translated into a new product language. The system combines adaptive intelligence for better hearing and Bluetooth connectivity with smartphones and other devices with numerous options for individual customization. Thousands of color combinations and different covers allow users to personalize the visible hearing system according to their preferences. SYNCHRONY 2 thus combines technological functionality with medical device design that deliberately moves away from the typical appearance of medical hearing technology.

In parallel, Milani developed innovation concepts for hearing implants specifically for children. Playful animal characters and different motifs explore how the visible components can be designed to connect more closely with the everyday world of young users and offer greater individuality. The technical component becomes a design element that children can choose according to their own preferences.

The SYNCHRONY 2 system was further developed by Hyve at a later stage and received the German Design Award 2020 in the Medical Rehabilitation and Health Care category. The jury particularly recognized the combination of advanced technology with a design that moves away from the typical appearance of hearing aid technology.

Milani design agency productdesign medicaldesign hearingimplants medel swissdesign

A new corporate identity for a consistent global brand presence

Milani developed a new corporate identity for MED-EL that translates the company’s expertise and open attitude into a clear, distinctive visual language. This also included redesigning the logo: the previously more complex combination mark was simplified to create a more concise and distinctive brand presence. The corporate design was conceived as a flexible system for different target audiences and communication needs. Typography, color palette, imagery, and graphic elements provide a recognizable framework that can be applied to everything from medical and technical information to more emotional communications for patients and families. Applications range from product information and brochures to communication materials designed specifically for children.

A comprehensive corporate design guide defines the key design elements and how they should be applied. This provided the foundation for consistently implementing the new corporate identity across different media and for the step-by-step global rollout of the new brand presence.