the writers lab

2020

team

Roxanne Benefiel
Stefan Berg
Bradley Cummins
Greta DeLacy
Sara Remi Fields
Oscar Herrera
David Kurushima
Sarah O’Connor
Arnold Pradhan
Sam Reichman
Ourui Yang
Felix Yu

role

research, strategy, copy

brief

An organization that strives to develop the talents of women screenwriters over 40 through an annual writing retreat, The Writers Lab asked for us to overhaul their visual identity to better align with their organization’s mission and character.

assessment

A relatively young organization, TWL can already claim much success in its efforts. It possesses a very small but dedicated staff, a long list of accomplished alumnae, and an unyieldingly specific area of focus.

However, while TWL is confident in what they do and who they serve, their explicit organizational identity is neither well defined nor indicative of their striving ambition, a reality that is merely reflected in their dry visual and verbal presentation. 

Inhabiting a unique intersection of interests and needs, we were extremely excited to work with The Writers Lab as it became quickly apparent that the organization was well positioned to have a profound impact on both the film industry and the prevailing narratives of all women, writ large.

observation

We developed two key observations regarding the industry TWL was working to change and the nature of similar successful organizations. Both observations highlighted the need for TWL to focus on its potential as a compelling network of talented and connected creatives. 

strategy and creative solution

By shifting focus away from TWL’s current activities and towards its boundless potential as a network of creatives and industry veterans, we were able to begin to develop a brand identity on solid footing.

We started by asserting and clarifying their core identity through a revised identity statement and a drafted organization manifesto.

This informed our work as we refined a consistent tone of voice and proposed a distinct visual identity that extended and affirmed their striving vision and determined personality.