Behavioral Scientist
CASE STUDY: IDENTITY & BRAND EXPRESSION
About the client:
Behavioral Scientist is a non-profit digital magazine that offers readers original, thought-provoking reports from the front lines of behavioral science. Born out of the labs and offices of leading researchers, practitioners, and journalists, their mission is to help their readers make sense of today’s world through a deeper understanding of human behavior.
GOALS:
Develop a comprehensive visual identity including logo, typography, color, pattern, and imagery library that showcases its thought positioning in the editorial field of behavioral science
Develop a visual hieararchal system to effectively organize information on an editorial website
Develop logo options that can be utilized for editorial and promotional purposes
PROCESS:
Developed mood boards to get a sense of the desired look/feel of the brand from a visual standpoint to drive identity development
Designed five logo options utilizing wordmarks, symbols, and patterns, refining selected logo for final product
Performed typography analysis of existing working website to select typefaces consistent with visual brand and editorial goals
Developed comprehensive visual identity including primary and secondary color palette, typeface families, and patterns to aid in design of website and collateral materials
Developed a visual style guide for web developers to apply visual brand
TARGET AUDIENCE:
People who are interested in original, thought-provoking reports from the front lines of behavioral science, particularly researchers, practitioners, and journalists.
RESULTS:
The visual identity system well serves the editorial website with ~125K monthly page views and Behavioral Science newsletter with 27,000 subscribers. The clear typography system aids in disseminating editorial content. The alternate owl logo system also provides audience delight in promotional items designed and given by the organization.
“For our new digital magazine, Behavioral Scientist, we needed to create a brand identity that conveyed creativity, rigor, and caught people’s attention. We worked with GDC to develop a visual identity that help us stand out among a crowded media space. It’s rare to find a combination of creativity, compassion, and professionalism that this firm has. Elise helped us take our vision from a few sketches and ideas into something tangible and that years later we’re still very proud of. Just as important, she helped us stay on schedule, was able to explain things along the way, and was an overall pleasure to work with.”
