by Elzanie Bothma
Following in the footsteps of ORSSA, the editorial board of ORiON decided to give the journal a new and modern look that aligns with the ORSSA rebranding of 2021.
The design mainly incorporates hues of blue and and incorporates the ORSSA brand's primary red as a pop of colour. The colour blue boosts one's ability to think creatively; affirming the notion that blue is the colour of innovation. The combination of black, white, red, and blue also makes up the majority of colours used in technology logos. While blue evokes reliability and competence, red communicates excitement and brings attention to an innovative nature.
The brief for the logo was data science leveraged for sky-thinking. The full colour logo is reset to hues of blue that serves as a colour palette for the journal as well. There are also black and white versions of the logo (to be used on dark backgrounds). The logo has a complementary style to that of the ORSSA rebrand. The design team maintained the circular movement for consistency and ease of brand integration. The use of the red dot for the “i” creates a visual link to the ORSSA brand while graphic elements depict data science and innovative thinking. It is a strong icon that works well as stand alone as well as design element for the cover design.
The inspiration for the cover is a journal rooted in Africa with innovation across borders. The background is in ORiON's primary dark blue tone and design elements include a data-science network imprinted on the Africa map. The Africa map centred on the front page only leaves ample space on the back cover for volume-specific text with a banner on the front cover allocated for volume details.
The clean design for the cover is aligned to the ORSSA brand refresh. It's timeless with a injection of energy. Using the actual logo for design elements and colour palette works towards establishing a strong and easily-recognised brand. Many thanks to Lenke Kühn, the graphic designer employed for this project, for a beautiful product.
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