Juno College: A design case study

This is an archive of v.1 of our Juno College rebrand case study. The latest text, images, and motion graphics can be found at: studiofunction.com/case-studies/juno-college-hackeryou/

Shaping the future of tech education in Canada

Formerly named HackerYou, Juno College has been at the forefront of tech education in Toronto since 2012. The team behind this incredible learning community has helped thousands of students transition to careers in tech and continues to expand their offering.

Juno required assistance with a comprehensive rebranding process. New identity design material needed to reflect the broader ambitions of the organization while also maintaining a deep connection with the college’s extended network of alumni and hiring partners.

Approachable web presence

A streamlined responsive site was required for Juno’s launch at Y Combinator’s S19 Demo Day. Approachable, elevated art direction aims to inspire and inform all viewers of the site. Photography showcasing authentic learning experiences and clear messaging also helps to set the stage for Juno’s unique offering.

A ripped paper metaphor and colourful brush strokes were created to bring in an additional sense of artistry and human touch. These elements provide balance for the other geometric forms found in the wordmark and primary typefaces throughout the site.

Clearly defined offerings

Juno’s courses and workshops needed to reach people at various stages of their decision-making journey. Designed with both skimmers and deep readers in mind, course pages provide as little or as much information as various prospective students might be looking for. A wealth of lead gen CTAs were elegantly integrated into the site planning and layout design, focusing on strategic relevance at certain parts of the funnel.

A grassroots community

Warm, friendly layouts put focus on the stories of real people and depict their transition into new careers as web developers. These stories highlight community successes and inspire other prospective students to start their own learning journeys at the college.

Thought-leadership in tech

Clear messaging about Juno’s unique value proposition and learning environment were important to reiterate throughout the site. This messaging is supported by an expansive colour palette that represents the college’s youthful, diverse, and vibrant learning community. This fresh colour palette also provides Juno with a more distinct appearance in the competitive landscape which is dominated by less refined corporate colour schemes.

Extensive alumni network

Interviews confirmed that reviews and testimonials are very important for prospective students in the early stages of their decision making process. Special care and attention was applied to student stories and showcasing specific examples of Juno’s proven process on the site.

Strategy enables success

The generation of all visual identity assets, web layouts, and other collateral material are guided by a comprehensive design strategy. This strategy is a primary focus of our core design process and is reflected by creative brief and web planning documents established early in the project arc.

Logo design for a savvy audience

Juno’s logo lockup was created to synthesize the concepts of digital precision and human authenticity. Blending typographic elegance with memorable geometric angles gives the college identity a meaningful cornerstone that underpins all other design materials.

Special care was also taken to preserve and enhance the existing HackerYou brand icon. This work demonstrates that valuable brand equity can be preserved through an identity update, and that existing brand assets can be enhanced and reinvigorated.

Maximizing social media

Considering the appearance of a new visual identity on social media is essential to any contemporary design exercise. Deep consideration was applied to new templates for noticeable and flexible images, along with other announcements made via Twitter, Instagram, and other relevant platforms.
These templates celebrate student employment, impressive college stats, and other snapshots of lively campus culture.

Leveraging Twitter

Twitter in particular is an important channel for Juno, as it connects directly to an audience of alumni, prospective students, and corporate hiring partners. Tweet templates were created to help promote student success stories, advertise events, and share other announcements with a consistent level of quality and visual character.

Print collateral design

Supporting design systems were also explored for reports and other printed marketing materials. These pieces extend the prioritization of student success stories seen in other digital formats, while delivering other important info clearly and concisely.

Branded objects

Juno recognizes the importance of engaging students who are currently moving through their learning journey and makes special efforts to sustain their appreciation. Specific materials and unique visual designs were generated for each full-time Immersive cohort to recognize the personality and energy of each group. A unique and memorable icon style was included in the identity to give life and personality to these assets.

Specific apparel was conceptualized to help the college connect with a young audience of style-conscious learners and promote a meaningful sense of school pride. These assets have been created in limited runs and have sold out at every community offering.

Quality design drives sustainable business

The confluence of impactful messaging, distinct colouration, authentic visual identity assets, and confident branding makes the perfect mix to generate sales qualified leads and ensure there is a steady flow of new student applications.

Defining identity standards

The generation of an identity standards manual is another essential step in the delivery of any new branding system. A comprehensive document was produced to outline and describe various design elements and visual treatments required to maintain a high level of quality and consistency moving forward.

Ensuring quality & consistency

Identity standards documents produced by our studio are comprehensive and deeply valuable. Type system details, brand mark variations, colour palette nuances, layout considerations, and other general design guidance is formalized and reflected in a single PDF. This resource enables all future internal and external teams to align with the same system of understanding and empowers them to generate new design collateral that is beautiful, effective, and on-brand.

Thanks for reading!
Start your learning journey today at http://junocollege.com. Find the latest version of this case study at https://studiofunction.com/case-studies/juno-college-hackeryou/

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