The Union Health Center was founded more than a century ago to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare to garment workers in New York City. Since then, they have evolved to meet the changing needs of thousands of union members, retirees and their families. With a major renovation on the horizon, UHC partnered with Additive to celebrate their legacy and bold vision for the future by designing a history wall and refreshed visual identity.
Key Deliverables
UHC’s goals were to boost patient engagement with their services and inspire audiences to champion UHC — and choose it as their provider, partner and employer of choice.
To identify important highlights in the organization’s history, our team interviewed union leaders and UHC team members. We also pored over UHC’s archive. With these qualitative insights, we developed a storyboard of milestones, from 1914 when the first worker clinic was launched following the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire to piloting virtual services in 2025. We chose archival photos to complement these moments and add dimension to the design.
Simultaneously, our design team used brand strategy that UHC had developed previously to guide the visual identity exploration. We developed a logo and visual system that resonated with diverse audiences across channels and languages, especially Spanish. Because UHC is a strong collaborator, we ensured the system was distinct — yet harmonious — among their key partners.
To honor their deep connection to unions, we also created a special version of UHC’s logo based on historical union seals, with clear guidance on when and where to use it.
With the user guide that Additive developed, UHC rolled out their visual identity and history wall at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in their newly modernized clinical space. They’ve also begun updating their online presence and print materials to match. UHC staff are excited to continue using their refreshed look and feel as they usher in the next century of expert healthcare for working New Yorkers.
