How to Say Innovation Without Saying a Word
Conveying scientific innovation through cutting-edge design

Many of the life sciences marketing professionals that we meet share a similar struggle: how to articulate the high level of innovation that’s core to their business. With countless competitors hawking the same innovation story in slightly different ways, it’s reached the point where claims of innovation go largely ignored, lost in a sea of sameness.
Fortunately, it’s still possible to tell your innovation story in an impactful way—and it doesn’t involve words. Through the power of great design, you can establish your company and your technology as innovation leaders. Below are four design tactics that we’ve found to be effective at conveying innovation.
Once you liberate your brand from the rigid constraints of technical representation, you open up a world of creative possibilities.”
1. Go more emotional, less cerebral
Many life sciences companies fall into the trap of overcomplicating their visual identity. You might be tempted to showcase intricate diagrams of molecular structures or detailed flowcharts of biological processes. There is certainly a time and place for these technical details. But if you’re telling a truly innovative, visionary story, your first impression should connect with your audience on an emotional level.
The most effective brand identities in life sciences today are moving away from literal representations towards more abstract, emotive imagery. Instead of trying to explain every nuance of your product’s mechanism of action, consider focusing on the broader benefits and emotional impact of your innovation.
How can you achieve this shift? Here are some design strategies to consider:
- Create a custom photographic style that infuses warmth and humanity into your brand
- Use an ownable illustration style to convey abstract concepts
- Use visual metaphors to convey complex ideas simply and memorably
- Incorporate 3D renderings and motion graphics to create dynamic, engaging brand experiences
Once you liberate your brand from the rigid constraints of technical representation, you open up a world of creative possibilities. This approach allows you to craft a visual story that resonates on a deeper level with your target audience, forging an emotional connection that goes beyond the scientific specifics.
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2. Innovation in the design details
Most groundbreaking brands know that design is a product of innovation, and they convey their innovative vision through the details of their design. Modern fonts, custom imagery, vibrant and distinctive color palettes, contemporary layouts, and so many more design elements provide all of the ingredients needed to build a visual system that makes the point.
Let’s just focus on the color blue for a moment. Blue has long been the go-to color for life sciences branding. Decades ago, there was a research study that found that blue is commonly associated with trust and calm. Apparently, that was all that it took for thousands of companies to jump on the bluewagon. The result? An ocean of calming brands struggling to develop brand awareness or recall. Today’s most forward-thinking organizations are embracing vibrant, bold and even surprising color palettes that stand out and make a lasting impression.
Crafting a distinctive visual identity
When developing your brand's visual system, consider the following:
- Select a unique font with distinct characteristics that are recognizably different from the typical san serif fonts that dominate the industry.
- If you’re open to a fresh color palette, conduct competitive research that focuses specifically on color, and choose a palette that can be unique to your brand.
- If you’re tied to your primary color, expand the palette. Add secondary colors that bring a more modern edge and extend the flexibility of your system.
- Unclutter your brand. Open up and simplify your marketing tools. A clean, contemporary layout will convey cutting-edge confidence.
- If you sell equipment/instruments, develop a library of exceptional photography or 3D renderings that glorify your tech.
Of course, these decisions shouldn’t be made with the sole intent to be different. They should also align with your brand personality and resonate with your target audience. If they do, your visual identity will reinforce your brand strategy and connect with your audiences in unforgettable ways.
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…people make purchasing decisions based on emotional and philosophical alignment with brands, whether they’re buying a pair of jeans or a desktop sequencer.”
3. Break out of the B2B mindset
Long ago, we discarded the concept of the B2B brand. In our opinion (and we’re not alone in this POV), all brands are B2C. Why? First of all, because real people are always the audience, and people make purchasing decisions based on emotional and philosophical alignment with brands, whether they’re buying a pair of jeans or a desktop sequencer. Second, traditional "B2B branding" promotes a conservative and conformative approach that all but dooms a business to obscurity in today’s highly competitive, brand-first commercial landscape.
To convey your company's progressive culture, consider these B2C strategies:
- Adopt a more conversational voice and tone in your communications
- Embrace a more expressive and dynamic visual identity
- Take calculated risks with progressive visual aesthetics
- Infuse your brand with authenticity and humanity
By bringing more personality and emotion into your branding, you're not just making your company more approachable—you're modernizing your brand. You’re developing authentic, human connections with the people that matter most.
4. Use the power of custom imagery
When it comes to scientific imagery, stock scientific images are always a convenient and affordable solution. They are also a surefire way to ensure that few, if any, observers see you as an innovative company. Cheap, easy visuals take up space but they fail to capture or convey the unique virtues of your brand and business.
Custom visual assets, including original photography and custom illustration, offer several advantages:
- Distinction: Custom visuals are unique to your business, and ensure your brand looks distinctly different from competitors.
- Clarity: Tailored visuals convey the complex scientific concepts specific to your business far more accurately and quickly than stock imagery.
- Consistency: A library of custom assets brings a level of cohesion to all your brand touchpoints that elevates perceptions.
- Memorability: Custom, owned visuals are far more likely to stick in the minds of your audiences, improving brand recall.
Investing in custom visual assets allows you to build a visual language that speaks directly to your audience and clearly communicates your brand’s unique value proposition. Learn more about the different custom imagery types, and how to plan and budget for them, in this article.
Innovation by design
From emotive imagery and vibrant color palettes to conversational tonality and contemporary aesthetics, each element of your visual identity can help to convey the innovative nature of your business—all without saying a word. As you embark on your next branding initiative, think beyond the expected. Push boundaries until you're uncomfortable, and then push a little more. Only then will you discover an entirely new visual language—a brand dialect that no one else speaks. Commit to that path, and you’ll launch a brand identity that not only says "innovation" but one that becomes synonymous with the idea.