Teaching myself structural microbiology

A little while back, Asthma UK (AUK) asked me, along with freelance designer Piers Rutterford, to help them raise around £5 million. The money will secure the future of a prestigious new research centre, set up by AUK and the Medical Research Council (MRC).

The new centre will investigate the complex causes of asthma and allergy, which affect rapidly increasing numbers of people in the UK. Indeed, one of the horrifying statistics I learnt on this project is that someone dies from asthma every six hours.

Piers and I were asked to develop a brochure that would put the case for supporting the Centre to major donors - people with thousands, or even tens of thousands - to donate.

But as well as the brochure, we were also asked to give the entire appeal an identity of its own - one that would attract this level of donor, and make them feel involved in the work of the Centre.

Our answer was 'Partners Against Asthma' - a name that's both a description and a call to arms. It also gives these special supporters a name: Partners. The Centre is all about partnership - between institutions, scientists, Asthma UK and people with asthma. And those whose donations keep the Centre going are every bit as important.

We also gave the name a visual twist: the 't' of 'Partners' is truncated to form a plus sign - a graphic summation of the theme that we carried throughout the brochure.

Writing the appeal meant a crash course in medicine for me (majoring in structural microbiology), and the chance to interview some dauntingly eminent scientists. It was fascinating, and perhaps the toughest writing challenge I've ever faced. So I was especially chuffed when AUK's major donor consultant described the brochure as 'a joy to read'.

To see the brochure in all its glory, click here for a PDF (2MB).