Advarra partnered with PreHealth, a brand growth and experience agency, to create Braid, the identity for Advarra’s data and AI engine. To share the story behind the name and brand, we spoke with Laurie Thackeray, Head of Global Marketing at Advarra, and Mike Hartman, Founder and CEO of PreHealth. Here’s what they had to say about bringing Advarra’s vision for AI in clinical research to life.
Question: What inspired the creation of a distinct brand for Advarra’s data and AI engine?
Laurie: We created a distinct brand for our data and AI engine because we see it playing a foundational role in the future of clinical research and at Advarra. Braid is Advarra’s production-ready AI platform, built on the industry’s largest and most comprehensive clinical trial operations dataset—drawing from Advarra’s IRB and clinical trial systems. It generates insights and will enable automation across Advarra’s solutions and other systems, helping sponsors, CROs, and sites optimize how they plan, launch, and conduct trials.
Given the significance of what Braid enables, we wanted to give it an identity that reflects its impact. Just as companies like Microsoft and Google have created dedicated brands for their AI tools—Copilot and Gemini—we saw value in giving our AI a name that could stand on its own. Creating a distinct brand also allows us to clearly communicate which Advarra products are powered by data and AI, helping us maintain transparency. Ultimately, Braid isn’t just a feature, it is a foundational layer that is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful transformation in our industry and having a distinct and powerful brand helps us communicate that.
Question: What were the key goals you wanted the brand to achieve from the outset?
Mike: With AI becoming increasingly ubiquitous—and nearly every industry racing to define its breakthrough use case—it was important to establish a strong, foundational brand for Advarra’s data and AI engine from the very beginning.
Digging into Advarra’s story, we knew we needed to telegraph both their renowned heritage as the leader in review services as well as their vision for AI-powered clinical research solutions. To that end, we challenged ourselves to create a brand that would be both available and active—a concept that would work as both noun and verb, always ready but also always in motion.
To add even more depth, we wanted the new brand to conjure layered meaning (like a one-word poem) to be memorable and support longevity.
Question: How did you come up with the name?
Laurie: We wanted Braid to reflect something bigger than just a new tool or a passing tech trend. Unlike names that feel trendy or overly futuristic, Braid was designed to be industry-leading with lasting impact, not a gimmick for 2025 and not shaped by what others in the space are doing.
The name is also deeply connected to Advarra’s brand. It reflects the trust, credibility, and expertise we’re known for, while still feeling modern and tech-forward. Braid is a natural extension of who we are: not edgy or disconnected, but aligned and recognizable.
We also wanted something memorable and easy to communicate. Braid is simple to say, easy to spell, and intuitive for our teams, clients, and everyone across the industry to understand. It works well in conversation, in presentations, and with visuals that help bring the name to life.
Finally, and most importantly, the name is meaningful. It speaks to what the platform actually does—weaving data, intelligence, and automation into the fabric of clinical research. Braid represents the digital thread that will underpin, connect, and strengthen everything Advarra delivers. It symbolizes the stitching together of fragmented data across the clinical research ecosystem and the seamless weaving of AI across systems to enable intelligence and workflow automation. The Braid core represents the powerful combination of machine-driven insights and human-in-the-loop approaches—bringing precision, efficiency, and trust to every step of the process.
Question: What was the process like for generating and narrowing down name options?
Mike: A brand is a promise—a promise that must be kept at every touchpoint, across every experience. So we began as we always do by seeking to discover and unlock that promise.
Grounding ourselves through interviews and research, followed by directional workshops, we unlocked the human need as well as the vast technical advantages of Advarra’s data and AI. Knowing that this new brand would need to support a growing product portfolio, we explored a variety of models, ranging from descriptive to metaphorical to neological, crafting and refining dozens of options.
As soon as “digital fabric” established itself as the north star for Advarra’s AI, we narrowed in on simple, evocative words that captured the idea of weaving intelligence across the ecosystem while feeling distinctly human and connected.
Were there any other name contenders you seriously considered? What made Braid stand out?
Laurie: Absolutely. We explored countless names and had several strong contenders that met our criteria. But Braid rose to the top. It wasn’t just the meaning that set it apart. It was the creative potential it offered. The fact that “AI” is embedded within the word sparked immediate excitement about how we could bring that to life in the wordmark. And we did exactly that.
The design gives a subtle yet powerful nod to artificial intelligence while also highlighting the “A” from Advarra, creating a clear and intentional link to our parent brand. We love that Braid looks right at home beside the Advarra logo, yet stands confidently on its own—memorable, modern, and instantly recognizable.
How did you develop the brand look and feel?
Laurie: We began with brand architecture, strategically approaching Braid not as a sub-brand but as a cohesive part of Advarra’s master brand that would evolve to meet the demands of a more digital, dynamic future. With our multi-year product roadmap as our guide, we created a complementary design system capable of unfolding over time, capable of growing with us as we continue to iterate and innovate.
Mike: As is often said, a brand is so much more than a logo. Drawing inspiration from the brand’s promise and rich, layered meaning, the visual identity organically revealed itself as an iconic mark and a shimmering generative woven mesh. These key artifacts then served to inspire and influence additional components across communications.
Pressure testing was critical. When fully interrogated, Braid revealed everything from sheer beauty, partnership and infinite expressiveness to extended elements such as tactile qualities and enhanced strength, flexibility and other mechanical advantages of braided materials. At that point, Braid, as intended, quickly took on a life of its own.
We had set out to create a brand that would clearly differentiate Advarra’s AI-driven offerings in a crowded landscape. The icon, wordmark, and design system do exactly that. The system not only elevates Advarra’s position in the market but also signals a focused, long-term commitment to innovation and emerging technology.
A Signal for the Future of Clinical Trials
Braid isn’t just a visual system, it’s a strategic signal. It embodies how we see the future of clinical research: intelligent, interconnected, and built on real operational data. Braid gives strength to Advarra’s bold vision for a future where clinical research is powered by data and AI.
Braid is the common thread—an engine that weaves across solutions, powers insight, and interlaces AI and data into every operational touchpoint.