Un-biased expertise

Harvard Law School’s Environmental and Energy Law Program influences policy discussions about environmental, climate and energy issues. They are the go-to advisors for US policy makers in these sectors and play a crucial role in providing un-biased and real-world analysis for the country’s environmental and energy challenges.

In the United States’ current political climate the program’s work is more important than ever. We felt honoured to be tasked with creating a new visual identity and online presence for the program, constructing a framework for clear and accessible visual communications that reach audiences and stakeholders that make an impact.

Keywords: #advisors #environmental #law #multi-disciplinary #neutral #experts #groundbreaking

Finding balance

We were given the luxury to not be bound to the main Harvard brand and were encouraged to explore fresh directions in order to emphasise the program’s unique and future-oriented approach.

It was clear to us that the new logo design needed to be contemporary in its essence, yet had to combine the core attributes of the program which called for an abstract conceptual approach.

Directive neutrality

After diving into a variety of ideas we landed on a solution that worked with the program’s multi-disciplinary approach and directive role as key elements.

The triangular shapes of the new logo are based on a perfectly balanced square and together form a joint directional synergy. A subtle reference to the letter “H” and the red accent tie the logo to the Harvard main identity.

Directive neutrality

After diving into a variety of ideas we landed on a solution that worked with the program’s multi-disciplinary approach and directive role as key elements.

The triangular shapes of the new logo are based on a perfectly balanced square and together form a  joint directional synergy. A subtle reference to the letter “H” and the red accent ties the logo to the Harvard main identity.

Information architecture

The program’s online presence evolves around in-depth content and quick access to crucial information. Therefore we started by establishing a clear information hierarchy which was reflected in the site’s no-nonsense yet approachable typography.

The site is updated frequently with the latest development in environmental and energy law developments and we set a range of quick entry points to the most requested tools and media, based on the site’s analytics.

"Law is just words on paper if it doesn’t achieve stated goals or change with the times. We consider how the law operates in the 'real world' – accounting for budgetary constraints, political trends, competing interests, and institutional inertia. Analysis that understands this context will prompt realistic solutions and enhance the success of an environmental program."

The Harvard Law School Environmental and Energy Program

A go-to tool

One of the new website's features the program wanted to push is the Regulatory Rollback Tracker which tracks environmental regulatory rollbacks of the Trump Administration. Within 2 months of the launch of the new site, the tracker had increased its subscriptions by 20%. The program's team has fully embraced the new site and its functionality and frequently posts updates on latest developments and new media. It's a delight to see the site becoming a very active tool and go-to source for people with the power to truly make an impact.


Project lead: Combo Creative

Coding: Glance Digital