A Face for the Future of Masters and PhDs
Dansk Magisterforening, now DM, is the Danish association of Masters and PhDs. Of all kinds. And they wanted to make that more obvious. So, in close collaboration with DM’s management, congress, board, and members, we created an identity inspired by the strengths DM and their members share.
Project
Client: DM
Year: 2020
Industry: Trade Union
Deliverables
Visual Identity Design
Tone of Voice
Bespoke Typeface
Design Guidelines
Brand Strategy
Naming
Brand Positioning
“It has to be made clear that we’re a strong community that’s open and relevant to all Masters and PhDs - not some secret club for people with certain educations.”
Camilla Gregersen, Chairman, DM
Inclusion from the get-go
So, we took Camilla and DM on their word. From DM's CEO and Chairman to the delegates of DM's congress, from employees to members, no part of DM's organisation was left unheard. That way, the process itself was a testimony to the inclusiveness of the new DM brand.
Strength in members
Let's be honest. DM's members are smart people. In sum, they represent a deep base of knowledge and the ability to see things from a wider perspective. DM's members are people who are able to take abstractions and relate them to real-life matters - and vice versa.
This inspired us to play with geometric shapes, who hold both the precision of academic specialists and the abstraction of generalist thinkers.
The new face (and body) of DM
Or should we say; faces. The friendly DM figure represents the range of DM's members. The big head represents the amount of knowledge they keep, the body the solid community of the union. When static, the logo is confident and optimistic in its posture. When DM want to make it more personal, they set the D into motion for a friendly nod or curious tilt.
DM stand by their words
We developed a Bespoke Typeface and Tone of Voice for DM. Together the typeface and tone make for consistent and reliable communication. When it’s DM speaking, you’ll know. Trust us.
The serifs add credibility, the boldness and width brings power and capability. In sum, DM Bold is a unique and confident typeface with distinct details. Or to keep it short: Action in signature.
“Both DM’s employees and a lot of our members hold a love for language. Our new ambition on shaping the future brings higher expectations to the way we communicate. So, we needed a new Tone of Voice-guide. Our new tone is concrete and active, confident but not too quirky, empathetic and listening, and relevant without being patronising.”
– Nadia Fischer Guld, Brand Manager, DM
DM Bold
Put your thoughts into writing. You got this.
Actual members in action
DM's images don't just portray their members. The people in the photos are actual members shot in real-life action.
The images bring intensity, closeness, and coolness. They represent the multitude, knowledge, and energy of DM's members. The tone of the images is low-key and cool, which offers a contrast to the warm, red colours from the identity.
Shot by the talented Lasse Bech Martinussen
Illustration style
The clean and abstract illustrations build on the same concept as the logo and layout-system: Vertical lines represent the deep knowledge of DM’s members, horizontal lines their wide perspective on the world.
To stand out, you need a crowd
Dansk Magisterforening was a red brand. DM still is. In fact, the contrast the added reds and complementary colours bring make DM even redder.
More than that, going from the undiluted colour to the most delicate nuance, the colour palette now tells the tale of the diversity DM holds in members and professions.
A solid, confident, and versatile foundation for all of DM’s communication touchpoints.
DM x MA
MA is the Master’s unemployment insurance fund; DM’s partner in well-doing. We created a visual language for when the two separate brands appear in common endeavours.
