OLOS is a Swiss data management portal, designed with researchers in mind. Ahead of the platform launch, we helped the team create the brand identity and design it needed to stand out to its specific audience.
A complex environment
Managing research data is an integral part of any modern researcher’s job. From data input to publication and long-term storage, managing this data is a complex affair that drains valuable time and resources from both researchers and institutions. In this context, and with the support of the Swiss authorities, a project to streamline that process was born, which would become OLOS.
In order for the platform to outcompete its rivals and take its place within the Swiss academic sector, its brand needed to be as appealing as its technical capabilities. That is when the team reached out to Creative Supply to design the brand from scratch.
A whole new brand
The key to designing the new brand identity lay in understanding the functionalities of the OLOS platform. While it does not cover all data operations by itself, the platform is easy to connect with other tools and products. Since researchers can control the “whole” process of data management by using OLOS as their main tool, Creative supply came up with the name OLOS, inspired by the Greek hólos, meaning “whole”. The positioning and messaging were designed with an academic audience in mind, eschewing glossy catchphrases for a clear, benefits-based approach.
The visual identity of the brand presented some unique challenges as well. It was important to reference the “high-tech” nature of the project, as well as its “Swissness”, without veering into stereotypical representations of either concept. The result is a restrained look that subtly draws on Space Age references in its use of typography and symbols. The colour scheme and photography guidelines show subtle references to Swiss symbols and monuments without being obvious.
A brand that can attract a highly educated audience without overshadowing the product, that was the challenge in creating OLOS. The platform is set to go fully live in 2021.
