SCImago

SCImago is an internationally renowned scientific organization. Félix de Moya, the company's CEO, started a research project at the university that is now known worldwide for developing bibliometric analysis and data visualization tools that transform open knowledge into actionable insights.

The company's flagship product is the SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR), a portal used by virtually all academic researchers. They have also expanded their influence to other areas with SCImago Institutions Rank (SIR) and SCImago Graphica, for example. All their efforts point in the same direction: to broaden the social, scientific, and institutional impact of rigorous, accessible, and transparent knowledge.

We had previously worked with their team on the SCImago Media Rankings brand: an innovative branch of their value proposition, as it applies scientific rigor to the media sector. The focus of our relationship was now on making the parent brand and SJR appear as good as they truly are.

And we made it a reality.

Building on previous work

With SCImago Media Rankings, we conducted an intensive immersion process. Interviews with the team, collaborators, benchmarking… Everything necessary to understand a reality as complex as it is rich in nuances.

At that time, we understood that SCImago is much more than a set of data-driven tools. We're talking about a scientific organization with a global vision, capable of transforming open knowledge into real impact.

Having a clear understanding of the pillars of their reality helped us work much more efficiently in this second phase. We had a few more conversations to capture the necessary nuances, but we were able to leverage the knowledge we already had at our disposal. We always say: authenticity is one of the most profitable investments when working with brands.

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Strategy and architecture

The first step was to consolidate SCImago's global strategy, defining a brand platform with common tools. From its purpose —unleashing the impact of open knowledge— to a positioning that encapsulates its entire essence: SCImago is the global company that leverages data to empower researchers, organizations, and society to go beyond the power of open knowledge.

In the realm of actionable trust, this organization is capable of embodying the pioneering researcher's personality and responding to the needs of a world in need of trust and wisdom.

About the naming

Years ago, due to operational reasons, SCImago acquired several suffixes. "Lab" in some touchpoints. "Research Group" in others. This led to certain inconsistencies in brand usage, which created uncertainty within the team. We resolved this by making a simple yet impactful decision: from now on, the parent brand will be SCImago —with the first three letters capitalized, as an identifier— both for technical reasons (it's simpler, shorter, euphonious) and for adoption by the scientific community, where this format was already strongly established.

A modular visual identity

Specifically, the name SCImago is a construct that refers to the image of science. And that is the concept on which the visual identity is based: graphics as a representation of knowledge.

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When we defined the visual universe of SCImago Media Rankings, we looked to the future. At the time, we spoke of “creating a brand identity that would be scalable and could be applied to the entire portfolio when the time came.” Objective accomplished.

The new visual identity is based on a system logic: from a shared foundation, each sub-brand's identity adapts. This is the case for the SCImago Journal & Country Rank: by utilizing different resources, such as the color palette —which was updated to gain impact and personality— we ensure consistency.

This modular system is clearly visible in the symbols. The SCImago symbol (the parent brand) refers to the company's multiple projects and was developed from a module that is also present in each project.

Digital product to showcase the new universe

Once the strategic and visual pillars were defined, we worked on the complete redesign of our digital platforms. SCImago's websites are key touchpoints, especially in the case of SJR.

Therefore, we worked with strategic ambition and used the design system to ensure that all platforms, including SCImago Media Rankings, are consistent and express the new brand identity. We also sought to improve the user experience where needed. For example, SJR now includes the option to offer highlights or FAQs, sections that were not previously available.

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All pages speak the same visual language and have a narrative intent adapted to the needs of those on the other side of the screen. This is how the brand is projected: as a wise, rigorous organization serving those who make decisions based on knowledge.

Support to empower

With a strong identity and digital presence established, we began supporting the team leading SCImago. We always say: a brand is an ongoing process.

To activate the brand with agility, consistency, and autonomy, the first thing we did was organize a session where we presented the brand to everyone who works with it daily, to ensure they are aligned.

At this meeting, they were also provided with guidelines —including naming updates, color usage proportions, etc.— which they can use to work independently. And with that goal in mind, we continue working. We have prepared the launch campaign, from the communication plan to the execution of each piece, using SOL, Soluble's Artificial Intelligence, to create content at scale, always aligned with the brand.

Branding at the service of the SCImago team. Branding at the service of open knowledge.