FORGE, the Foundation to Overcome Rare Genetic Errors, was established to transform the lives of people affected by rare genetic diseases. Its initial focus is SAVI, an ultra-rare genetic disorder first identified only in 2014, where understanding remains limited and effective treatments are desperately needed.
We joined FORGE at the beginning of its journey, working closely with its founders to turn an existing brand identity into a digital platform capable of launching the charity to the world. The challenge was to make an incredibly complex subject understandable without oversimplifying it, explain where scientific research is heading and give patients, families, researchers and supporters clear ways to become involved.
Heartbeat
Rather than presenting research as an impenetrable collection of medical information, we created a journey that gradually builds understanding. Visitors can learn what rare genetic disease is, understand SAVI and then see where current research sits on the pathway from identifying a faulty gene through drug discovery, pre-clinical research and ultimately clinical trials.
Around this sits the human role of the charity. FORGE isn’t solely funding research, it is bringing together patients, families, clinicians and researchers, sharing knowledge and creating support for people affected by these conditions. The website therefore needed to work just as well for someone encountering SAVI for the first time as it did for a medical professional looking for research opportunities.
We used the identity to create a flexible digital design language that could move comfortably between science, personal stories, practical support and fundraising. Interactive content helps explain difficult subjects visually, while clear routes through sharing, connecting, researching and fundraising show exactly what FORGE is doing and where people can contribute.
Impact
The website launched FORGE with a platform that could immediately fulfil several very different role – an introduction to a little-understood disease, a source of support, a home for scientific research and a means of generating the funding needed to move that research forward.
Just as importantly, it was designed to grow with the Foundation. FORGE is already building an international community, supporting research and connecting patients, clinicians and researchers, with the longer-term ambition of applying what is learned through SAVI to other rare genetic diseases.
The result gives a new charity a credible voice in an extraordinarily complex field, while keeping the reason for all that science very simple – finding better treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
