Catalyst Identity Update & On-Screen Look

Catalyst is an award-winning PBS show run by students of the ASU Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The show revolves around cutting-edge research at ASU and the impact it has on the world.

Catalyst was in need of a brand refresh to better fit their audience, mission, and values. The goal of this project is to understand their desired brand image, develop a consistent brand style, and set in place new brand guidelines for the future of Catalyst.

To better communicate ideas to their viewers, Catalyst needed a graphic language that they can use in the future to build their own visuals and diagrams, rather than being restricted to stock images and video clips. The need arose for a consistent brand style that can be applied to specific concepts, as well as functional graphics and text. The feel aimed to be approachable and friendly, but also to convey what the show is all about: science and discovery.

By designing for Catalyst’s goals, we worked to create a multi-faceted brand where each piece would contribute to the end goal. Working with video allows vibrant graphic and color styles, and we utilized that thinking to create an inviting look. Resulting identity reflects the brand’s energy but also feels approachable for the audience.

Our team came together to identify Catalyst’s personality, values, and brand message before diving into the design process. We explored multiple design concepts and presented them to the Catalyst team. After receiving a direction, we developed three distinct refinements, stemming a single strategy, but with different implementations.

The resulting system included logos, colours, typefaces, a bespoke collection of icons, graphic patterns and devices, on-screen packaging, lower-thirds, photo direction, and art direction for web and digital projects.