The Adler Aphasia Center provides advocacy, education and support to enrich the lives of adults with aphasia, a language disorder that can result from a stroke or other traumatic brain injury.
A person with aphasia knows what they want to say but struggles to form the words. The result can be frustration and, often, public embarrassment. Yet when those living with aphasia come together in a supportive environment, they learn from one another’s experiences and realize they’re not alone.
Members of the Adler Aphasia Center spend their days in a warm, structured community focused on rebuilding communication skills, confidence, and connection. Through small-group therapy, social activities, and life-skills practice, they regain independence and rediscover purpose after stroke or brain injury.
The Center was founded in 2003 by Elaine and Fred Adler after Fred developed aphasia following a stroke.
The couple discovered a profound lack of long-term support for people living with the condition and created the Center as a place where people with aphasia could continue to grow, learn, and live meaningful, connected lives.
Since its founding in 2003, the Adler Aphasia Center has grown from a single pilot program in Maywood, New Jersey, into a nationally-recognized model for post-stroke rehabilitation and community reintegration.
As the organization expanded, it became clear that its brand needed to evolve as well. The original logo, while cherished and symbolic of its early beginnings, no longer reflected the full scope and spirit of what the Center had become.
Our mission was to reimagine the Adler mark to authentically reflect who they are today and position them for future growth. We began by uncovering their brand values—what makes Adler unique, what drives their purpose, and what principles guide them each day.
We spent time at Adler facilities, meeting with patients, staff and speech language pathologists to take part in the Adler experience, and begin to capture what made the center unique. From these experiences and additional interviews, research and discovery we drew a series of core values that defined Adler Aphasia Center:
At the Adler Aphasia Center, members aren’t just participants—they’re family. Every person is known, supported, and celebrated. Through shared activities and connection, the Center builds a lasting sense of belonging, safety, and genuine camaraderie.
Adler is considered the "gold standard" in aphasia care. They've pioneered a community-based model that combines clinical expertise with peer connection and have redefined what recovery and communication support can look like.
Adler helps members rediscover their strength and independence. Through communication practice, encouragement, and shared success, the Center nurtures the confidence and self-belief that allow each person to reclaim their place in the world.
To translate Adler’s core principles into visual form, we reflected on the feelings we wanted members and families to experience when engaging with the Center. We assembled these references into a mood board that guided our creative direction and served as a collaborative tool—helping Adler respond to, refine, and ultimately align on the emotional foundation of their new identity.
From that exploration, several themes began to emerge: the speech bubble as a symbol of communication, the heart as an expression of warmth and care, and the interplay between the two as a way to tell Adler’s story visually. We explored combinations of these and other elements to see which best captured the Center’s spirit and purpose.
For typography, we selected a serif typeface that conveyed warmth and approachability while maintaining a timeless, human quality—avoiding the overly modern or clinical feel common in healthcare design. A clean sans-serif complemented it, ensuring “Adler Aphasia” remained clear, balanced, and highly legible across applications. In color, we retained the blue-green palette of Adler’s original mark as a nod to its roots, while introducing brighter, more contemporary tones that signaled innovation, optimism, and a renewed sense of structure and safety.
By merging a heart and a speech bubble—united by a subtle avatar face—we created a modern, uplifting symbol that reflects the Adler Aphasia Center’s mission. The surrounding sunburst arcs and vertical marks convey energy, optimism, and connection, while the layered elements suggest interaction and belonging. Together, they form a cohesive mark that celebrates community and the rediscovery of voice.
We were proud of the new Adler logo, but even with full support from the board and leadership, we knew its introduction required care. Many staff and members had deep, personal connections to the original mark—one that had come to symbolize their shared history and progress. To ensure a smooth transition, we introduced the new logo through small group sessions, explaining the reasons behind the rebrand and the meaning woven into the new design. These conversations helped the community feel included, respected, and ultimately excited about the change—paving the way for a confident rollout and a new chapter in Adler’s growth.
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