#12DaysofHiddenHeroes: Shane Thomas
In the lead up to Christmas, we're shining a light on #12DaysofHiddenHeroes.
On the fourth day of the festive season, we meet Shane Thomas, design and brand manager at Barts Health.
Tell us about your role
The design team forms part of the dynamic communications team based at Canary Wharf.
My role is to provide a graphic design service to the Trust, to manage the development, delivery and execution of our brand and to offer guidance and support to staff on design, our brand and its visual identity.
All artwork produced by us must adhere to the Barts Health NHS brand guidelines as well as the NHS identity guidelines, which includes using the correct font, colours, photography and logo.
Being a design service, I have the opportunity to collaborate with a variety of great staff from around the Trust. Offering guidance and support to staff on the NHS brand/identity guidelines is an important part of my role.
One request that we occasionally get asked by staff is to create a logo for their team or department. I actually love creating logos but unfortunately, the NHS guidelines permits me from creating them!
Some of the artwork we produce for trust-wide campaigns and projects include: infographics, illustrations, web graphics, animated gifs, social media banners, livery design, wall/window graphics, posters and life-size cut-out boards.
We also manage the Barts Health photo library (recently updated) and the templates (MS word and powerpoint) which are available to download from WeShare.
Over the last 18 months, I have worked on projects that have had elements of interior and wayfinding design, they have included colour co-ordinate the furniture and zonal areas within the Canary Wharf office and also working with the ExCeL London and Westfield Stratford team to create zones, signage and window graphics.
What might surprise people about your role?
My role is one of only a handful in the Trust that solely uses a trust authorised Apple Mac computer.
Proudest moment?
Earlier this year, I really enjoyed working with PJ from the ACCU team at The Royal London Hospital.
The brief set was to create artwork to brighten up the Queen Elizabeth Unit.
PJ provided thank you messages that patients and relatives had written to staff, and we created a thank you wall stretching over 13 metres.
It also includes the names of all the staff that worked in the unit during the first and second wave of the pandemic.
How will you be spending your holidays?
I’ll be spending the holidays with my family, trying not to eat too much, getting plenty of rest, ready for a busy new year.
Read more:
#12DaysofHiddenHeroes: Hafizul Islam