Open to Debate
The Long Game: Building a brand one idea at a time.
What began as an illustration assignment became a ten-year creative partnership, eventually encompassing a new name, a complete rebrand, a digital experience, and a brand system adopted across the organization.
Over that time, my role evolved from illustrator to trusted creative partner to Creative Director.
Executive Creative Direction: Sean M. Smith
Strategy, UI/UX: Anna Smith · ACOMPANY Creative Lab
Brand Identity & Rebrand: Odgis + co & ACOMPANY Creative Lab
Editorial Visual System · Website Design · Brand Guidelines · Illustration: Sean M. Smith
Art Direction & Design (IQ2US): Edward Taylor
The Challenge
Intelligence Squared US was evolving from a live debate organization into Open to Debate, a broader platform built around thought-provoking ideas.
The challenge was to create a visual identity that reflected that evolution. A brand that could hold politics, culture, and ideas while bringing opposing perspectives into the same conversation.
The Idea
A rebrand only works when the people doing it understand what the brand actually is. We'd had ten years to learn.
Ten years with the organization meant understanding what the brand actually was before deciding what it could become.
The visual language was built around that tension between perspectives. A critical image system allowed two subjects, ideas, or viewpoints to coexist within a single composition; a visual metaphor for the organization itself: different perspectives brought together without forcing them into agreement.
The Direction
The identity extended well beyond the logo into a complete visual and digital system: typography, imagery, editorial design, motion, UX and structure.
The brand guide gave the organization and its creative partners the tools to keep the system working across social, events, merchandise and digital platforms without losing its point of view.
The Outcome
Webby Honoree. Creative Excellence Award. Gold AVA Award.
More importantly, the organization continues to use the system today. After ten years of working together, the brand has grown into what it needed to be without losing the thinking that got it there.
