Colossal is a wildly popular online art publication that’s been celebrating contemporary visual art and culture since 2010. We partnered with their Chicago-based team to revitalize both their brand identity and digital platform while preserving the distinctive editorial voice that earned them a global following.
Our collaborative process began unconventionally—inviting the Colossal team to lead creative inspiration rather than presenting curated concepts. The resulting identity features a distinctive wordmark with playful letterforms that honor their history while introducing fresh expression. This system balances whimsy with curatorial expertise through a carefully calibrated color palette designed to complement rather than compete with featured artwork.
For the website redesign, insights from nearly 1,000 readers guided our approach. We preserved the beloved "morning paper" browsing experience while intuitive navigation offers clearer paths through their extensive archives. The new site serves diverse audiences—from casual browsers seeking inspiration to serious researchers and collectors—with generous space for artwork, subtle animations that invite discovery, and the addition of an educational glossary and improved search and tagging systems.
The final identity and site is a unified system that reflects Colossal's essence as a joyful, accessible space for arts and humanity, establishing a flexible foundation for their continued evolution as a curator of visual wonder.
- Design Direction + Design
- Will Miller
- Design Direction + Design
- Dean Sweetnich
- Project Management
- Makenzie Beyer
- Research + UX Strategy
- Elaine Hancock
- Account Management
- Susannah Ramshaw
- Web Development
- Jordon Rupp
Project link
Judges Choice: Chris Piascik
