The Bristol Medical School at the University of Bristol is a leading centre for collaborative and multi-disciplinary research in population and translational health sciences.
For over ten years, Oakshed has been commissioned to work on designs for a wide variety of applied health research studies run by the Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol.
Children’s Cough Study
Oakshed was commissioned by the University of Bristol to create an identity for a Children’s Cough study called CHICO. The aim of the study was to explore how to improve care for children with a cough by providing information for doctors and nurses to enable them to give parents personalised information about their child’s cough and self-care at home. It followed a previous programme of work called TARGET (Improving the quality of care for children with respiratory tract infections in primary care) that Oakshed created a brand marque for, and needed to have a link with the new study – hence the green target element in the Chico ‘O’.
Working closely with the client, Oakshed designed a brand marque that including child friendly penguin character (called ‘Chico’) that ran through as a theme through all subsequent printed items.
Antimicrobial Stewardship
The findings of the TARGET programme were disseminated at an Antimicrobial Stewardship event in London: Improving primary care for children’s respiratory infections. Oakshed designed a logo and branding to identify the event and publicise the main findings from each workstream together with a range of materials.
Caring for Children with Coughs
Included in the Antimicrobial Stewardship event were some parent-facing materials to explain information about how to look after a child who has a cough (not due to asthma): Caring for Children with Coughs.
Oakshed created a series of illustrations of a ‘child-friendly’ polar bear for the parent information leaflets, poster for surgeries and fridge magnets.
The study, being based in Bristol – a multicultural city, also presented a need for the parent information leaflet to be translated into a variety of different languages: from Arabic to Gujarati; Portuguese to Somali – eleven languages in total.
The next study in the children’s respiratory infection programme of studies run by the University of Bristol is a UK-wide Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) called CHICO RCT. Using a main colour change (purple) and an update to the polar bear illustration to differentiate the materials, Oakshed has designed a new set of ‘Caring for Children with Coughs’ materials: Parent information leaflet (including further language translations in Punjabi and Urdu), poster and stationery items (post-it notes, coaster and pen).
Other research studies
Oakshed has been commission to work on study logos and printed materials for a wide variety of research studies for the University of Bristol. Here are just a few examples:
The Silkie Study
This University of Bristol research study involved hospital wards trying out some new sheets made from a silky material for patients who have had a skin graft. Oakshed was commissioned to design a study logo together with a series of information leaflets for Adult patients, parents and children, in addition to a poster and stickers.
Train to Home scheme
The Train to Home care pathway helps parents to track their child’s progress whilst in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) through to Special Care and finally to the point where they can be discharged home. Oakshed designed a series of information leaflets and fridge magnets for parents and staff. An A1 poster used at a conference to present the study results won the British Association of Perinatal Medicine 2015 Best Poster prize. The study materials have been made widely available to other NICUs to use through the SW Neonatal Network website: www.swneonatalnetwork.co.uk/train-to-home
The LoDED study
Around 2 million people a year in Britain come to A&E with chest pain, but it is often hard for doctors to tell if the pain is due to a heart attack. Ruling out heart attacks faster would reassure patients earlier and reduce time spent in hospital. The aim of this study is to find out whether using a single blood test, shortly after a patient arrives in A&E, may be used to rule out heart attacks. Oakshed was commissioned to design a study logo together with a series of information leaflets for patients.
The Panda study
(Paediatric and Neuro-Ophthalmic Diagnostic Assessment)
Up until now the OCT scanners (that allow doctors to look at the retina at the back of the eye in great detail) were too difficult for young children to use. However, a new Hand-Held OCT has been invented and it is hoped this will be used to help babies and children with eye or brain problems. The aim of this study was to collect scan pictures in typically-developing healthy children as a reference for when it will be used to help young patients with eye or brain problems.
Oakshed was commissioned to design a study logo, information leaflets and consent forms.
ADAGIO study
Many women experience low mood when they are pregnant, and few women get help. However, it is important to treat low mood in pregnancy as symptoms could affect the mother and baby. The ADAGIO feasibility study is comparing two talking therapies for treating depression in pregnancy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal counselling (IPC).
Oakshed was commissioned to create an eye-catching logo and study materials for this University of Bristol research study. Printed design items included patient, partner and staff information leaflets, screening leaflets (for booking and scanning clinics), invitation to participate leaflets, posters, pen and diary inserts for midwives.
‘How to stay safe’ leaflet
Oakshed commissioned an illustrator to work alongside to create the design of an information safety leaflet to help parents keep their homes safe for their children. The result needed to be simple and informative, easy and attractive to read to all parents.
The CVI Project
Oakshed was commissioned by the University of Bristol to create a logo for a study to investigate detection, diagnosis and management of children with vision problems in the context of other developmental conditions. The study involved looking at Cerebral (brain-related) Visual Impairment (CVI) in primary school children. The logo therefore needed to be ‘child-friendly’, but also convey the concept of brain-eye messaging in a simple way. Following finalising the logo, Oakshed was then asked to create a series of MS Word templates that could be used in-house and by headteachers during the study.
Another part of this job involved illustrating some children’s looking session activities to give parents and children an idea of what would be involved / to expect when agreeing to take part in the study. These were illustrated from photographs supplied by the client.
Oasis Study
Although the numbers of babies dying as a result of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has fallen considerably in recent years, SIDS remains the largest single group of infant deaths after the first few weeks of life. The OASIS study examined data from the newborn hearing screen to try to identify babies and young children at risk of sudden, unexpected deaths.
Oakshed was commissioned to create a logo for the Oasis study. Part of the brief was to include a ‘child-friendly’ illustration of an animal, to help try and ‘soften’ the association with SIDs. Design items included an information leaflet and poster.
TABBY (tongue-tie and breastfed babies) Assessment Tool
To improve the assessment of tongue-tie associated with breastfeeding difficulties, researchers at the University of Bristol have developed and evaluated two tools for clinicians to use: The Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool (BTAT) and TABBY (tongue-tie and breastfed babies) tool (the picture version). There is worldwide interest in the Bristol Tongue Assessment Tool, with requests to translate it into other languages and for it to be used as a training tool.
Consequently, Oakshed was commissioned to design the simple picture TABBY Assessment Tool, which illustrates various degrees of tongue tie, to aid and enhance consistent assessment of infants with tongue-tie.
The ‘Development and impact of Bristol breastfeeding and tongue-tie assessment tools’ A0 poster which describes the tools, won ‘best poster’ prize at the Nutrition and Nurture in Infancy and Childhood: Bio-Cultural Perspectives Conference in June 2019. This prize reinforces the importance and success of presenting research data in a clear and engaging format.
“Having attractive and well-designed professional study materials makes a huge difference when recruiting participants for a research study and disseminating the findings. Oakshed branding and publicity materials have greatly enhanced many of our studies run through the University of Bristol and the NHS.”
