The Academy of Social Sciences promotes the social sciences in the UK for public benefit. Through immersing ourselves in the world of social science we quickly understood its importance in society to help shape a better future. The outcome is an identity that stays relevant in the midst of an ever-changing world.
Our biggest goals were to clarify, modernise and unify the Academy’s brand in line with its purpose and aspirations, whilst finding ways for them to be better understood by current and future generations. It was clear that the Academy’s brand had reached a point whereby it didn’t allow them to communicate in ways that align with its new strategy and future ambitions.
Our challenge was to create a practical and creative framework that can speak to their wide ranging audiences effortlessly.
From academics, politicians and young students, to internal Fellows and Learned Societies, we sought out to find a system that could shift the brand’s tone to appeal to each audience and suit the needs of various touch points, both online and in print.
Working closely with the AcSS team, we set out to uncover why they exist as an organisation.
Through gaining a deeper understanding of who they are, we set about positioning the Academy via three key principles: Credible, Essential and Human.
These principles allow the brand to balance integrity, consistency and understanding, reflecting their beliefs as an organisation whilst the core values inspire their team to stay honest to themselves and be relevant to the challenges of tomorrow.
Simplicity was key in bringing real clarity and purpose to the brand.
The new brand is modern and forward-facing. It clearly establishes the Academy’s purpose and its status as a charity, whilst equipping the brand for its future phase as an institution, as well as better serving the needs of its different audiences.
The logotype has enough character to feel friendly and approachable, whilst expressing a sense of professionalism that allowed the Academy to be taken seriously as a leading voice of the social sciences.
We played off the geometry of the letterforms by creating a brand system that can flex across different areas such as sub-brands and content modules.
The Academy can now express itself in a much more timeless, coherent and creative way, which creates trust, brings to light the relevance of social sciences in the modern era, and sparks action.
“Praline’s combination of outstanding design expertise, empathy, attention to detail, and a willingness to ask questions and to challenge our thinking when it was needed, made for an open, stimulating and immensely productive collaboration. We feel very privileged to have such a great outcome. Praline have made a real difference to how we communicate and how we are perceived. ”
Dr Rita Gardner CBE FAcSS, Chief Executive, Academy of Social Sciences