Since the days of the Civil War, The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine (NASEM) has been considered an authority on providing unbiased scientific advice from experts around the nation in academia, government and business. When the organization came to design firm Metaforce for a rebrand, managers knew it was imperative the identity supported the stature, gravitas, and impact of the organization’s history.
The new design elements are contemporary but also reflect the rich visual heritage of the National Academies. The new logotype echoes script on the historic National Academy of Sciences building across from the Lincoln Memorial on Constitution Avenue in Washington, DC, and it complements the existing identities of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the National Academy of Medicine. The upward-arrow-shaped A characters in the design were inspired by classical Roman/Greek/Latin text carved in stone, which references back to the origins of language, education, and knowledge.
The brand’s intricate patterns were inspired by the NAS Great Hall dome. The main graphic is a more literal depiction of the dome’s paintings. Additional stylized patterns are based on the geometric shapes from the dome. (See more inspiration at http://nasgreathall.com.)
The main brand colors are one lighter and one darker shade of blue, green, and gold. The secondary palette includes bronze, ocean blue, olive, navy, lavender, orange, red brick, and violet.
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