Reimagining a diverse and inclusive brand for the STEMinista project as part of the Michigan Science Center
The Michigan Science Center, known as MiSci, is a STEM engagement hub where discovery learning and interactive participation meet. Exhibits, programs, and science shows explore various topics in STEM and promote literacy and understanding of the natural world and the built environment.
The STEMinista Project is an initiative started by the Michigan Science Center to connect girls to role models as a resource in order to see themselves in STEM. By creating opportunities to practice basic inquiry, analysis, and problem-solving through fun and interactive learning activities, MiSci’s STEMinista Project seeks to place HER at the center of science by empowering girls to lead the next generation of STEM innovators.
Challenges:
As the STEMinista project relaunches its statewide initiative, the MiSci team wanted to re-develop the project brand to encompass more diverse and inclusive elements that attract and connect program participants and role models to collaborate. With the previous brand featuring a very specific type of female in its logo, it represented a limited vision of the program that created a disconnect between the brand and project participants.
Solution:
Blended Collective, in partnership with Design Think Tank, initiated a two-step approach by running one-on-one interviews with stakeholders including the CEO, and assessing STEM-related brands in the marketplace to better understand the space of STEM and the project’s positioning.
As a result, our team developed a logo font and color scheme to reflect the engaging, empowering, dynamic, inspirational, and welcoming elements of the brand that program participants and role models can associate with alike. By choosing a welcoming font that is accompanied by the primary colors purple and red, the STEMinista brand mirrors strong and powerful attributes of the female gender, but also embodies inclusive characteristics such as ambition, courage, independence, and pride. Using encouraging and vibrant colors aligns with the overarching Michigan Science Center brand. The color gradients are a relevant expression of the STEMinista brand as they represent the diverse and inclusive elements through the blend of colors.
Results:
The Michigan Science Center is now equipped with a brand that allows for national brand expansion in the community as the project continues to grow. The STEMinista brand highlights the importance that this is a project where any female can belong.