Introducing Augur, a business design consultancy that channels change. After five years of growth, it needed to completely overhaul its brand, which didn’t meet the current needs or expectations of the business.
Augur came to us wanting to approach its branding from a perspective drastically different than the norm. As a member of the climate tech industry, much of its competition relies on the greatest hits: stiff corporate stock photos, “sustainable” visual tropes, and otherwise “technical” imagery. These references are outdated for modern sustainability brands and don’t describe what drives Augur.
Our goal for the project was to align internal- and external-facing aspects in the same direction to create an authentic, consistent brand that stood out in the sector for its humanistic touch.
We identified and clarified Augur’s internal drivers through our Strategic Narrative process. Multiple conversations, book research, and a competitive analysis helped us craft eight fundamental principles.
Many of Augur’s clients are caught up in the day-to-day, so close to their problems that they find it challenging to innovate on their business model. For this, they call on Augur to chart a direction—to help them evolve deliberately. This principle is central to everything Augur does and is a signpost for all brand decisions.
Other principles like integrate intuition and information and create the environment for success tell us what Augur works to bring into the world and the way it does that. Although these principles are internal drivers, their effect helps clients see Augur as an adept, trustworthy partner who helps them hone their zone of genius by focusing on the process of improvement instead of the event of success.
A business about business design needs a brand idea about ideas. This notion led us to use Creative Conduction as our guide for creative work. This brand idea positions Augur as a conduit that draws out the curiosity and transformation that has always been inside its clients. It creates momentum without taking center stage.
Visually, this idea attracted us to the concept of energy and the fact that energy doesn’t flow through conductors but through the space around it. This nicely links back to Augur’s process, which creates the environment for success rather than prescriptively deciding what actions a client should take; the emphasis on teaching instead of instructing is key.
Digging into energy and its interpretations, we found the chance to create a flexible system based on a simple parabola. This parabola is the foundation for everything from visual elements to UI, from iconography to information containers.
Colors, typography, and art direction also subtly hint at the brand idea. Warm tropical colors invite interaction; type elements float in space; art direction sits between viewer and subject. These touches differentiate Augur from the competition by re-centering people in business.
