To create a world where all young people thrive, we first needed to connect — not with young people directly, but with the professionals who shape their care, education, and policy.
I led a new collaboration between Johns Hopkins and Healthy Teen Network through a structured brand-building process to transform a newly funded research-to-practice initiative into a living, values-forward brand.
Together, we named and built Thrivology — an assertive yet down-to-earth brand that reframes research as something exciting and alive.
Creating a values-forward brand required deep facilitation and iteration. We developed four fully realized brand prototypes — each with its own name, narrative, and visual identity — and pressure-tested them with stakeholders and end users. Thrivology emerged as a synthesis: the strongest strategic elements, visual language, and emotional promise drawn from each concept.
Inspired by the partnership between two founding organizations, I designed a mark built on converging forms — distinct shapes meeting to create something new.
The syllabic dots nod to the creation of a new “-ology” — a field of study — while subtly signaling the dismantling or “breaking down” of academic knowledge. Research here is not gatekept. It is translated, shared, and lived.
The syllabic dots nod to the creation of a new “-ology” — a field of study — while subtly signaling the dismantling or “breaking down” of academic knowledge. Research here is not gatekept. It is translated, shared, and lived.
Our color palette commemorates the year of founding with Viva Red — a vibrant tone reminiscent of Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year — layered with Ink to create Overprint, a third color that visually represents collaboration. Together, these hues embody the idea that partnership produces something greater than the sum of its parts.
Thrivology’s visual system draws from risograph aesthetics — bold spot colors, layered botanicals, and collage-driven composition. Originally popularized in the 1980s, this approach helps Thrivology stand apart from websites and resources crowded with stock imagery, forgettable color palettes, and dense blocks of text.
I translated this spirit across print and digital platforms. Vibrant, layered collages reflect a brand that is assertive and energized, while botanicals introduce a grounded, down-to-earth, retreat-like quality that nods to healing and growth.
I designed and launched the initial Thrivology website — translating the brand’s optimism and clarity into a compelling digital experience. As the initiative grew, additional designers expanded the site and its resources. I continued to steward the brand through structured reviews and critiques, ensuring new pages and resources remained aligned with Thrivology’s voice, visual system, and strategic intent.
To support long-term consistency, I created a comprehensive Brand Guidelines book capturing strategic foundations, voice principles, visual systems, and usage standards. The guide equips collaborators to extend the brand thoughtfully — strengthening coherence as the initiative evolves.
It is a bold new “-ology” — meaning-rich and well-built to bring about a world where all young people thrive.
