The National Space Technology Academy, NSTA for short, is an opportunity for teenagers to participate and learn about the developments of space travel and space technology. The Academy works as a six week course, over the summer holidays, where students complete missions - focusing on STEM learning and team collaboration.
The brand aims to inspire, educate, engage and employ. Our main focus is to encourage students to consider taking up STEM subjects for A-Levels and/or university courses, shinning a light on something they may not have considered previously.
Personas
Here are four personas for the brand, looking at both students and parents:
For students we have those who want to explore more, those that are passionate and those who aspire for more. These groups of people can be categorised by their values as their spirits are what allow us to explore more and dive deeper (as a brand). Their motivations may stem from different places, which mean that when working as a team they are most effective.
The fourth persona addresses the parents, as they also decide whether or not their children attends the academy. Therefore, when designing we considered the wider outlook of the brand from an outsiders perspective.
Visuals
Our visuals rely on balance, having this sleek and minimal look. It is clear of distraction and straight to the point.
We use the Kallisto typeface family, which can be seen used in our logo. We chose this as it gives a clear indicator of the genre and narrative of the academy, being futuristic and tech-like.
As well as that we have used Atkinson Hyperlegibility, which was originally made by the Braille Institution for greater legibility and readability for low vision readers. This has been used so that with large copies of text, the information is still accessible for all users.
The main colours used are black and white, with the accent of this hot pink which is our brands staple. Although not limit to, pink may be seen as more feminine, which allows us to show our support for females in STEM industries, whilst not being overbearing. The vibrancy of the pink lights up the brand, and is energetic, dynamic and forceful. The combination of these all present the brand as both fun and serious.
Touchpoints
My first touchpoint is poster advertising, which may be seen in the subway or on the streets, for those who don't know of the brand.
This one has the striking, desolate black of the void with the statement 'This could be you'. It is ominous and makes the user want to read more, and find out what this is all about.
This second one also striking in colour and imagery, using a cool spaceship. The copy at the bottom showcase some of our brands values and encouragement for teenagers, wanting them to utilise their skills. At the bottom a url is included, and leads to the second touchpoint: a website.
This is the homepage of the site, which sets the tone of the brand.
You can click through these slides, again showcasing our unique pink and again our this could be you campaign:
We've also included a quote from John F. Kennedy, which communicates how the stuff that we do isn't easy, we do them because their hard. This idea explains how our academy only survives through the passions of our young people, as they are the future.
The third and final touchpoint are these mission badges. During the six weeks the students complete these four missions. The icons signal that you have completed the course and you should be proud. They are circled in our hot pink, identifiable without our logo, combined with each unique colour and image for each department.
Here you can see them used on accessories, as a badge of honour for attending the National Space Technology Academy.
