The John Templeton Foundation advances well-being through research that sits at the nexus of science and spirituality. With an important public engagement initiative on the horizon, JTF sought a branding agency to overhaul their identity to accurately translate the foundation’s mission and purpose for today’s modern audience.
We helped modernize the Foundation’s written and visual brand while honoring JTF’s deep history.
We rethought the user experience and information hierarchy of the grant application process to reduce unqualified grant applicants.
We helped JTF better highlight the work they fund in a public way using storytelling and engagement strategies that spark curiosity.
We created a set of taglines to serve two distinct audiences. The phrase “Infinite Discovery” speaks to scientists, scholars, and innovators in a gesture toward the constant pursuit of knowledge and understanding. The second tagline, “Stay Curious,” is a welcoming statement used to engage the general public.
Our initial research revealed that the existing nautilus symbol had deep equity within the JTF community. While this ancient symbol has many interpretations, the inner spiral is a recognized symbol of creation, fluidity and evolution. Our logo harnessed these associations while capturing the spirit of exploration that lives at the center of the Foundation.
We chose a smart combination of serif and sans serif typefaces to simultaneously communicate the legacy of the Foundation while giving a nod to its commitment to modern scientific research and discovery.
Baskerville’s simplicity and quiet refinement brings an air of intelligence and sophistication to the brand.
Proxima Nova is a modern typeface that combines humanistic proportions with a geometric appearance. This workhorse sans serif helps create a clear information hierarchy.
We employed a thinner weight of Proxima Nova to retain elegance in the brand’s long-form body copy while ensuring legibility.
Detailed user profiles helped us document and understand typical website visitors. Based on these audiences, we simplified the navigation to highlight Funding Areas, Grants, and Partners, with a special section called ‘Discoveries’ to promote the Foundation’s core areas of exploration.
To inform the content creation process, we conducted an iterative workshop that resulted in practical messaging guidelines. From voice & tone to content heuristics and business goals, we helped the communications team rally around one central content strategy.
