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Stanford Research Park / A Case Study by Cosmic / Cosmic

Stanford Research Park

Updating a Silicon Valley Original

Homepage Hero Update

The Challenge

We worked with the Stanford Research Park team in 2015 to create a modern website and help them build community across the 700 acre center of innovation. Having created a central community space, it was time to update their visual identity, online presence, and digital experiences to align with the changes they had made in infrastructure and within their organization.

The Outcome

We loved reconnecting with the team members we worked with previously and new people as well. Together, we elevated the overall brand experience through more succinct copy, a refined visual presentation, and ease of interaction. Most importantly, the site truly feels like it’s the digital hub that engages and knits together the Stanford Research Park community.

Services

  • Strategic Brand Building
  • Digital Infrastructure
  • Content & Campaign Consulting

Focus Areas

  • Education & Research

Exploring a New Brand Identity

Over the years, the Stanford Research Park team has established a clear culture and sense of community. Taking this as our cue when conducting our landscape analysis, we looked at both direct competitors and brands in the hospitality space. From there we formed a point of view around how amenities can be presented similar to a hospitality or lifestyle brand. This created a fresh perspective on the visual brand identity.

Insights

Elevated Details

One of our goals with the updated visual identity was to create brand elements that are elevated, professional, and modern. Details found across the site create continuity that allow even the most simple pages to be part of the brand experience.

Homepage Mockup

Broadening the Design System

The design system uses brand fonts in ways unique to the organization. This gave us the freedom to push the Stanford font further to keep the connection while creating a distinct identity.

We also worked with a more nuanced color palette using more than the stark Stanford burgundy and white. This approach softens the aesthetic to make it more approachable to residents resulting in a system that’s more professional than scholastic.

Scope of Work

  • Strategic Brand Building

    • Brand Strategy
    • Brand Identity & Design Systems
    • Content & Messaging Strategy
    • Brand Messaging
    • Brand Research

  • Digital Infrastructure

    • Digital Strategy
    • Modern Bespoke Website Design & Development
    • Branded Website Content & Copywriting

  • Content & Campaign Consulting

    • Holistic Content Strategy
    • Branded Photo & Video Production

  • Other

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    Stanford Research Park / A Case Study by Cosmic
    Moodboards

    Intentional Icon Updates

    For the icons on the site, we stayed with the style we previously established, updating them to make them work with the site’s more modern aesthetic. In addition, we decided to enclose them in circles to give them a little more prominence while increasing their legibility. The circle also connects the iconography to the circle-cropped photography adding to the cohesive brand experience.

    Icons

    Setting the Stage

    Stanford Research Park’s brand narrative is about showcasing the companies that have launched there and call it their innovation HQ today. This approach is part of their strategy to attract new companies. While we did some traditional About page storytelling, we also used a timeline to create an interesting highlights experience.

    People-focused Messaging

    In its most simple form, Stanford Research Park is a property manager. What makes them different is their focus on people and community. These are benefits for the companies that locate there.

    As a result, we created messaging that’s people-centric and highlights the community offerings at Stanford Research Park.

    Messaging

    More Than Real Estate

    The copy on the site is meant to attract innovative companies and strikes a balance between professional and aspirational. Keeping with the human-centered messaging, we highlighted the Stanford Research Park team’s values while avoiding a traditional listing of them.

    Giving Back Mockup

    An Elevated Photo Style

    The photo style of the site aligns with the elevated design aesthetic. Images are intentionally saturated without feeling overly manipulated. This creates visual consistency across locations that are architecturally significantly different.

    Photography Guidelines

    Conveying the Essence of Place

    We created video treatments and produced a video and photography shoot over four days that produced a brand video that makes a case to companies, a textural video that showcases the experience of being there, and an informational video that highlights their SRPGO transportation program.

    Balancing Information Needs

    One of the biggest challenges we faced was balancing the need to convey both information for prospects and a sense of place. The information architecture, data hierarchy, and experience design of the site work together to guide a visitor’s experience.

    The most frequently needed items were placed in the primary navigation, with lower priority needs available.

    Information Architecture

    Dual Experience Design

    Ultimately, the Stanford Research Park site is serving two main audiences – companies looking for space and the people who work in Stanford Research Park. The site is built and written to take both audiences into account with video experiences that speak to both.

    I Pad Mockups
    Jamie

    The engaging website receives positive feedback from a wide variety of visitors. The first ever “Year in Review” enabled us to communicate the success of the Research Park with the broader community in a concise and engaging manner.

    Jamie
    — Jamie JarvisJamie Jarvis, Executive Director, Strategic Programs
    Jamie

    The Cosmic Design team provided the expertise and structure necessary to pull together a cohesive, logical, and engaging design for our communications and marketing materials. This included a well thought out and cohesive strategy for our brand including new logo, logical sub-brands, compelling content, and updated photos and videos.

    Jamie
    — Jamie JarvisJamie Jarvis, Executive Director, Strategic Programs
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