Visual identity design for a university research project
CLICK (Critical Literacies – Images for Sharing Children’s Knowledges) is a research project led by Dr. Diane Collier at Brock University that explores how children use photography to see, interpret, and share their worlds. CLICK needed a visual identity that felt grounded in academic research while still reflecting the curiosity, warmth, and creativity that guide the work.
The resulting identity was designed to support academic communication while remaining flexible and easy to apply across presentations, outreach materials, and participant-facing documents.
Logo concept and visual system
The CLICK logo blends the mechanical precision of a camera with organic forms to reflect the project’s focus on slow photography and children’s visual literacies. The camera functions as both tool and metaphor, symbolizing attention, inquiry, and documentation. Its rounded form supports approachability, while the layered radial lens references an aperture, with subtle nods to a flower and sun.
An angled plane introduces a sense of depth and perspective, referencing photographic depth of field, while viewfinder-style corners frame the project’s full name and reinforce ideas of framing and visual awareness. A small yellow dot above the “i” in click recalls a vintage camera flash and subtly suggests the human presence behind each image.
This logic extends into a broader visual system that includes custom icons, pixel-based patterns, and framing devices. The final deliverables included a full logo suite, an expanded visual system, a comprehensive guidelines document, and a set of Canva templates that make it simple for the research team to copy, paste, and adapt elements for future use.
“Catherine was so excellent to work with. She helped with designing materials for a new research study. She really listened carefully and produced tools that will help us spread the word about our work. I was beyond impressed.”
– Dr. Diane R. Collier – Professor, Faculty of Education, Brock University & Principal Researcher, CLICK
