The situation
In February 2025, ELIXIR-UK and HDR UK (Health Data Research UK) ran a Joint Hackathon (12–14 February 2025), bringing together UK professionals in health data and life sciences to tackle shared technical challenges.
The two organisations were co-organisers, but the balance was not equal: HDR UK contributed most of the time, resources, personnel and funding. ELIXIR-UK was a genuine partner in shaping the event, but it was not the lead funder.
That balance shaped the branding decision. Rather than competing for visual space or forcing the full ELIXIR brand onto the materials, ELIXIR-UK produced the promotional assets in HDR UK’s visual identity – their blue, orange and green palette – with a clear hint towards ELIXIR’s own.
What they did
- Adopted the lead partner’s identity. The palette, shapes and typography follow HDR UK’s brand, reflecting that HDR UK was the main host and funder.
- Kept ELIXIR’s involvement explicit. The ELIXIR-UK logo appears alongside the HDR UK logo, and both organisations are named in the event title – so no one is in doubt that this is a joint activity.
- Used the right logo, not the standard one. Because ELIXIR-UK was a co-organiser rather than the lead, the ELIXIR-UK Node logo is used as a partner mark, sized and placed to sit comfortably within HDR UK’s design.
- Stayed consistent across formats. The same approach carried across the square key visual, the landscape banner and the multi-slide “call for projects” promo, so the partnership read consistently wherever it appeared.
The same system, across formats
A single on-brand key visual is easy. The real test is keeping it consistent everywhere the event appears – social headers, slides, even merchandise. The hackathon branding was applied as a system, not a one-off.
Landscape banner (for website headers and social media):
Event t-shirts (branding extended to physical merchandise):
Why it works
- It matches the contribution. Leading with HDR UK’s brand honestly reflects who hosted and funded most of the event – it would have looked odd for ELIXIR-UK branding to dominate.
- It keeps ELIXIR visible. The logo and the named partnership mean ELIXIR-UK still gets clear recognition and association with the work.
- It respects both identities. The collaboration looks genuinely joint rather than like one organisation borrowing another’s event.
Takeaways for your Node
- When you organise an event, lead with your Node / ELIXIR branding and add partners as appropriate.
- When you co-organise but a partner leads and funds it, it is often right to adopt their visual identity – just make sure the correct ELIXIR logo is present and your involvement is clear.
- When you sponsor, use the dedicated ELIXIR sponsorship logos.
- Whichever role you are in, match the branding to the real contribution, and never let ELIXIR’s involvement disappear entirely.