Opportunity Insights
Reviving the American Dream
Located at Harvard University, Opportunity Insights is a non-partisan nonprofit that conducts economic research using big data. The organization collaborates with local stakeholders to translate their research findings into policy change that will improve upward mobility in the United States.
We partnered with Opportunity Insights to develop their brand strategy, logo, and visual identity as well as design and develop their website. The brand and website launched alongside the release of The Opportunity Atlas, an impressive data visualization tool created by Dark Horse Analytics, and was featured on the front page of the New York Times, Morning Edition on NPR, and other prominent news outlets.
Logo and Visual Identity
Building an accessible and unifying a brand
Opportunity Insights was created to provide access and analysis of data and information otherwise restricted to academics and researchers. In doing so, they empower policymakers and local stakeholders with actionable insights to make informed policy decisions.
We began our research process with in-depth interviews with Raj Chetty and other leading economists, a detailed review of the competitive landscape, and work sessions with the team to finalize their mission, values, and key messaging. The result is a brand that differentiates Opportunity Insights from others in their space and meets the needs of their diverse audiences. The brand reflects the caliber of their work—it’s bold and authoritative, yet approachable and inclusive of researchers and policymakers alike.
We also led the name selection process. After an exhaustive review of competitors and organizations with similar names, final names were tested with key influencers and funders.
Incorporating data analytics into the visual aesthetic
The concept of data visualization influenced our design—from the simple yet strong approach to typography and color to the intentional use of pixels and bar graphs.
The typography evokes a well-established organization with the primary serif, and there is a nod to data collection with use of a monospaced accent typeface. The brand avoids partisan colors of red and blue in favor of a core grayscale palette with a single bright accent color. A robust secondary palette exists for use in data visualizations, maps, and charts.
Website
Meeting the needs of very diverse audiences
The website serves academics, speaks to policymakers, and unites stakeholders across the country. Our information architecture and navigation system creates pathways for each audience to ensure they can quickly find information. For academics, the site houses a large catalog of research and data files. To reach local stakeholders, we grouped their research into four categories that provide a more user-friendly introduction to their work. For policymakers, the site is very action-oriented, detailing policy implications of their research, city-specific case studies, and access to local data sets.
