BRAND PLAYBOOK | NEW SCIENTIST

Brand Audit | Editorial | Marketing

Tools: InDesign | Figma

BRAND PLAYBOOK

New Scientist – Brand Audit & Playbook

Objective
New Scientist brought me in to conduct a full brand audit with the aim of producing a brand playbook that would unify their visual identity across print, digital, sub-brands, events, and marketing touchpoints.

Approach
I collaborated closely with the senior print designer, who had been shaping the brand for over a decade. This gave me valuable insight into the heritage of the brand, as well as the internal challenges that led to inconsistencies over time.

To ground the work, I carried out a Rating brand audit, evaluating where the brand currently stood in terms of visual consistency and effectiveness. This included:

  • Reviewing logos, aspect ratios, and colour usage

  • Assessing typography across print and digital

  • Mapping out the positioning of branded elements within different formats

  • Highlighting duplications and inefficiencies in the colour palette

Process

  • Workshops with the design team: Together, we identified inconsistencies and agreed on steps to streamline the visual identity, such as reducing unnecessary colours and aligning type usage.

  • Findings for the development team: I created a WAG listing specific to digital outputs, highlighting where brand implementation was falling short.

  • Collaboration with marketing: Recognising that adverts were one of the biggest sources of inconsistency, I initiated conversations with the marketing team. This led to the creation of an advert anatomy framework and a set of templates to bring clarity and consistency to their campaigns.

Outcome
This audit laid the foundation for a comprehensive brand playbook, which became the baseline guide for New Scientist’s design and marketing teams. The work not only identified inconsistencies but also opened up better cross-team collaboration, helping the organisation align its brand presence across every touchpoint.