Agency
May 2021
QSM
QSM is a government grant program with a clear goal: to equip teachers with the proper tools and techniques to guide students on their knowledge journey.The most important part was to understand how to position QSM as an absolute necessity for teachers. After the first analysis and planning meetings we created an iconic, flexible brand identity that QSM customers and admin fell in love with. The style reflects the organization's roots.
At this stage we focused on understanding the essence of the grant and how we could find a fit with QSM brand’s objectives. When analyzing it in relationship to the it's sponsor university, it was easy to see that they all had a similar style in terms of colors. No one was really standing out.
We realized that QSM should not look like the standard grant. It had to be different, it be just as cool and exciting as the education it wanted to support.
QSM had to be a place where instructors thought was accessible and necessary for success in their classrooms.
QSM is a grand. Yes, you have to fill out applications, and follow many procedures. But it's also on the a champion for teachers, with deep roots in the culture.
QSM is for the advancement of education in Louisiana. A core value is that knowledge is a right for all students.
The visual identity of QSM was the perfect opportunity to express what this grant really is. We created a flexible visual identity that could be used in any possible application. The logo, the typographic style and the secondary graphic elements all contribute to differentiate QSM from other more well known grants in the state.
Originally, we wanted the new branding to represent the forward thinking nature of education. It was on this idea that I based my first logo sketches, but at some point I realised that this was not the right direction. Though we reached some ideas we liked, we felt that they didn't also capture the pride for advancement of Louisiana education that they had. Once I realized that, I changed the creative direction, focusing more on incorporating familiar cultural elements and the attributes we identified in the strategic phase.
