SORA UNION / RESEARCH
Closing the Perception Gap of an AI-Powered Imaging Company
A clinical imaging company with 20+ years of respiratory expertise was struggling to communicate its evolution into a multi-therapeutic, AI-powered solution. I led market research and brand strategy as part of a cross-functional team, working alongside a Design Director, copywriter, project manager, and client stakeholders to close the gap between how the company saw itself and how the market saw them.
The brand strategy was launched on time for a board meeting in March 2026. The rebrand and website followed in May.
Role
Product Designer
Team
Design Director
Copywriter
Project Manager
Client stakeholders
Date
2026
Note
NDA Protected. Happy to discuss the full project in a conversation
From Zero to Launch While Navigating Constraints Such as:
Internal Misalignment
Client Requests
Delivery Timelines
Rapidly Upskilling
the challenge
The brand had a legacy problem mistaken for a messaging problem.
On the surface, the ask was clear: reposition a clinical imaging company from a single-therapeutic reputation toward a broader, AI-powered platform identity. But the company had built a credible, hard-won reputation
20+
Years Active
500K+
Imaging Scans
700+
Journal Papers
That legacy was an asset with existing clients, but a challenge with new ones.
When we interviewed 5 internal team members and 5 customers separately, the gap became undeniable:
Internal Team
5/5
Described it as multi-therapeutic
Customers
4/5
Associated the brand with lung/respiratory imaging only
The challenge wasn't retaining current clients. It was finding the right message to win new ones
Without abandoning the scientific credibility that made the brand trustworthy in the first place.
the process
Understanding the gap from both sides
I structured the research phase across three methods. The goal was to understand not just what people thought about the brand, but why.
Brand Audit
Desk Research
10 Interviews
Customer interviews revealed that existing clients relied on:
Current Experience
Scientific Credibility
Trust and Efficiency
Primary words used by customers to describe the brand
Midway through the process,
a critical blocker emerged
As we moved into brand architecture, it became clear the client didn't have internal agreement on how their product and service offerings were structured. They were shifting direction:
We ran multiple working sessions
With the help of the Design Director we facilitated alignment sessions with the client, to answer 3 important questions:
Who they are?
Imaging Intelligence Advancing Trials & Clinical Insights.
What they do?
Turn complex imaging data into trusted insights.
How they sell it?
Imaging data, white-label platform, reports
This added a week to the brand strategy timeline, but it was necessary to avoid creating the same external confusion we were trying to fix.
the solution
The brand architecture followed logically as an Endosed Brand Model
Who
Master Brand
What
Products [X,Y,Z]
how it’s delivered
Platform
why
Capabilities [X,Y,Z]
how it works
Engine/Technology
The master brand carry the credibility, and the products carry the specificity
The new architecture anchored the brand in what customers already trusted
Scientific Reputation
Valuable data creation
Trust & Efficiency
Authenticity & Commitment
While opening the door to the multi-therapeutic identity the internal team had always believed in
This gave the client a clear structural answer to a question they'd been circling: how do you hold a growing product portfolio under one coherent brand?
Impact and Outcome
01
The Foundation for All Subsequent Design Work
The market research and brand audit (30+ pages) were delivered on time, informing a brand strategy document of 10–15 pages.
02
The Brand Strategy Launched on Time for Board Meeting
Despite a one-week delay in brand strategy caused by stakeholder alignment sessions.
03
From that Foundation, the Visual Work Began
The brand and website had a clear direction to build on, grounded in research, not assumption.
04
What this Project Taught Me
This was the project where I stopped thinking of myself as someone who executes and started thinking of myself as someone who shapes them. Managing ambiguity from a client who was still figuring out their own offering, advocating for the right architectural approach, and staying grounded in research when the direction kept shifting, none of that is in a typical design brief.
Endless thanks to the team behind this
Good results come to life through collective effort. We moved toward a shared goal with dedication in every step, turning challenges into opportunities and ideas into reality.