Brand refresh and visual identity for Faculty
Brand design isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about telling a story. It communicates the universal truths of an organisation – who they are, why they exist, and what makes them exceptional.
As the Brand Design Lead, I took the challenge in reshaping all aspects of Faculty's brand, originally crafted by Pentagram in 2019. After experiencing three years of rapid growth, it was clear our brand needed to evolve – reflecting Faculty’s new strategic goals. Our aim was to project a professional, yet friendly persona, cementing our position as a trusted partner in the realm of human-led AI technology.
Leading a team of talented designers and developers, I drove the transformation of Faculty’s visual identity.
This complete overhaul included a new colour palette, imagery, iconography, website, presentation templates, brand guidelines, brand management platform, and a full redesign of marketing and sales collateral.
The shift from a monochrome aesthetic (black and white) to a vibrant spectrum was pivotal. This adjustment was made to help Faculty stand out in a complex, competitive market. We believe this vibrant palette not only set us apart in a crowded marketplace, but also breathed new life into our brand.
At the heart of Faculty's brand is the concept of wisdom and intelligence at the speed of light.
We chose light as our central motif for its unparalleled velocity - a symbol of our extraordinary ability to transfer information. Light embodies the premium quality of our solutions, paired with the optimism that defines our brand ethos.
Inspired by the science of light refraction, our new colours emerge. When white light traverses a prism, it refracts, with each wavelength bending uniquely, resulting in a spectrum of hues. This captivating interplay of science and art gave birth to our new palette: white, black, blue, midnight blue, magenta, and yellow.
Methodology:
To define design language for the future brand, we needed a plan. Faculty visual brand matrix (see below) helped us understand what imagery style effectively conveys company’s professional, friendly personality, and positions it as a trustworthy partner in human-led AI technology.
Two axes of the matrix captured the core brand relationships we wanted to convey:
01. First axis, who we are: we are a technology company, that embraces human interaction at its core.
02. Second axis, how we act: we are knowledgeable and reliable, yet approachable and friendly.
Next, we mapped out hundreds of visuals across the matrix and analysed emerging patterns. After multiple mapping and customer testing sessions, it became clear that visuals in the top quadrant resonate most with our target audiences. A bold use of colour, complimented with neutral backgrounds and smart, engaging imagery was the perfect combination!
These insights guided our design process moving forward, ensuring that every element of our visual identity is aligned with our brand ethos.
Brand toolkit:
To successfully deploy the brand, we created an accessible brand toolkit. This comprehensive set of assets includes digital guidelines, templates, custom icons, and imagery. Designed with ease of use in mind, our toolkit empowers both internal and external stakeholders to bring the Faculty brand to life consistently.
Office branding:
As part of the refresh, we partnered with the creative agency, Motive to rebrand our new office. Our objective was to create a workspace that conveys our brand personality and inspires our colleagues to think differently.
We used illuminated and translucent materials to reflect Faculty's commitment to openness, contrasting with traditional black-box solutions. The integration of LED lights elegantly guides people through the office space from the moment they step in, complemented by clever genAI and data visualisation art.
In September 2024, Motive was awarded silver at the Better Future London Design Awards 2024 for their exceptional work on designing our office space.
Credits:
Graphic design team: Becky Friend, Aleksej Malkov, Natalya Byrne
Website development: Pollen
Office branding: Motive