Data science has emerged as one of the hottest fields in the past 15 years. The ever-expanding presence of big data gives analysts and researchers significantly more scope for their projects. This has impacted the mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) market and many others. However, access to such large volumes of information also brings new challenges.
The complexity of big data calls for a substantial amount of coding, extraction, and processing. Researchers spend much time data wrangling but struggle to obtain meaningful insights and impactful results. Data science is often perceived as having a clinical and systematic approach that prioritises algorithms and formulas over storytelling.
USIA is a start-up company that wants to revolutionise the MSI market and streamline the stuffy approach to data science. Their software aims to help researchers spend more time on insights by automating coding and simplifying data processing. The business wanted a brand identity that would reflect its fresh solution.
We were asked to create science-tech branding that shifted away from the typical images of DNA, cells, and microscopes. USIA wanted a contemporary look to pivot on while building its identity and developing products. They also needed a presentation for an upcoming early investor pitch meeting.
There are many things to consider when creating unique visual identities for data science companies. We started by looking at the business name. USIA is a Greek word loosely translated as “essence” or “important part”. The brief was specific about not being boxed in by scientific imagery, which we avoided.
We decided to focus on letterform aesthetics. We isolated “U” and trialled many approaches, ranging from bold and heavy variants to ones with more finesse and flow. We took the client’s feedback and created a logo based on the Greek “OU” ligature. This combined a droplet motif that used negative space to represent “essence”.
We used a vibrant 4 colour palette based on purple with occasional brick-red offset by classic black and white shades. This created a powerful look that conveyed luxury and sophistication. We completed the identity with big blocks of colour and relevant abstract images. Our non-traditional approach created fresh science-tech branding.
We wanted the PowerPoint Presentation (PPT) to leverage branding as much as possible for early investor pitches. We created a PPT focused on key facts, pain points, and takeaways. We optimised the content and kept it clear and concise for the USIA team and target audiences.
Our science-tech branding and PPT designs received excellent feedback. The pitch meeting went well with USIA generating more interest and funding opportunities. The company is currently run as a side project but is gathering momentum and the necessary investment to take things to the next level.
The business loved how our flow concept captured the company’s philosophy of creating easy-to-use solutions focused on attention to detail. Our branding design successfully conveyed the key message of emphasising discovery over data processing. It also represented USIA’s core value of wanting to be seen as a research partner rather than a software licence provider.
Our PPT was instrumental in helping the team pitch to investors. We focused on pain points such as poor diversity, inefficient systems, steep learning curves, and time drains. We then proposed USIA’s tool as the solution and highlighted market distinctions like intuitive user interface (UI), flexibility, and automated coding.
Big data is constantly evolving and taking more time to process. This makes it harder to find answers and have a meaningful impact. USIA wants to shift the focus back onto insights and storytelling. We look forward to helping them with their mission through website design, product design, and other promotional materials.
