Sanford Burnham Prebys is a world-class research institute dedicated to finding cures for human disease and raising the next generation of visionary scientists. But after years of growth and evolution, the need for a brand overhaul was clear. After a comprehensive rebranding effort that included competitive analysis, naming, messaging and positioning, and a complete visual identity redesign, a vibrant new brand emerged.

As the most visible touch point of the Salk brand, the homepage was a major focus of our effort. Through an audit of the existing site’s analytics, we identified key gaps and opportunities to improve the user experience. With those insights in hand, we set out to create a new homepage that showcases Salk’s latest research, breaking news, and upcoming events in a modern user interface. To ensure alignment, the new visual style was also applied to secondary page templates and across other areas of the site.

One of the keys to building a successful brand is nurturing internal excitement and adoption. To help encourage brand adoption within Salk, we created a series of web templates that allow individual researchers to build their own lab-specific microsites. Each template is designed for ease-of-use, aligns with brand standards, and flows seamlessly from Salk’s parent website. They also serve as a visual guide for Salk’s in-house creative team, enabling them to apply the design elements across other digital assets.

Our effort to elevate the Salk brand stretched across both digital and print media. The Institute’s flagship print publication, InsideSalk, was in need of a contemporary facelift. So we redesigned the publication from cover to cover, introducing bright new colors, vibrant imagery, and custom illustrations that brought new life and energy to the magazine. That visual language was also applied to the digital edition of InsideSalk, which provides additional detail and insights in a rich, online experience.