A revolution in research.

Despite best intentions, the research funding and grants-management process today is a complex mishmash of projects, processes, and people. This makes it difficult to see funding efforts, let alone understand and optimize their impact. Enter Altum. This transformational software company has built a research administration platform that empowers funders, connects the research community, and extends the impact of grant-making long beyond the award. So we partnered with this ambitious organization to give their vision the right visual vocabulary, their initiatives the right words, and their aspirations the right runway. The concept that oriented our efforts: Open. So what does Open look like? From immediate access into a vast ecosystem of potential grant partners, to deeper integrations and a focus on making funding and impact easier to see, Altum is focused on unlocking the research community and creating opportunities like never before. And by cultivating an approach—and a brand—that’s more intelligent, empowering, and Open than ever before, we’ve prepared Altum for everything research and innovation can and will become in the years and decades to come.

A synchronized experience.

Ultimately, Altum is one facet of a broader whole. In fact, a key challenge we faced came in synchronizing the parent brand with its flagship offering, ProposalCentral. So we developed a visual vocabulary to serve not only the signature product, but its originating entity and all future products to come. First, we focused on the Altum mark and its core geometric element: the circle. More than an emblem of the organization’s open aspirations, the circle is a springboard for secondary product marks. Next, we incorporated texture into the rest of the experience—from the dual-lined ribbon treatment to evoke sophistication and trust, to the modern typography and palette, to the methodical incorporation of photography. The result? A visual experience that’s at once approachable, elevated, and highly adaptable.

“Once we started talking through the process with Contrast, there wasn’t really anyone else we considered working with.”

Steve Pinchotti / CEO, Altum

A powerful platform.

When creating initial brand concepts, we go big. But pressure-checking our efforts against industry realities is just as critical. So we looked at the digital brand experience through this lens, building a site that marries a cinematic vision with direct, to-the-point content necessary to serve a growing SaaS platform’s marketing and sales strategies. Beginning with ProposalCentral’s gated platform, and extending to the external-facing organization-wide website, we transformed the experience into a demand generation engine and audience-specific support system for Altum’s product suite. Hubspot integration ensures trackability and transparency, striking imagery elevates the look, and responsive navigation keeps everything smooth and efficient regardless of the user’s device.

An empowered pipeline.

In the beginning, there was ProposalCentral. But Altum’s aspirations always extended beyond the horizon. So when it came time to introduce Altum Insights and Altum Analytics, we were ready. In partnership with the organization’s senior leadership, we collaborated to launch the organization’s first-ever product marketing campaign, consulting on brand strategy and marketing initiatives across the now three-product suite. In this case, the groundwork established through our initial brand vocabulary served us well. So we outfitted the new products with their own complementary colorways, forming a cumulative set that’s entirely differentiated yet elegantly synchronized.

A visionary future.

Over the course of our multi-year partnership with Altum, adaptation has been critical and evolution an imperative. And as we look to what’s next for the organization, its products, and our shared engagement, we continue to return to the fundamental open vision. From gated content to case studies to powerful thought leadership and industry-leading content, Altum is a brand that believes in the power of research. And as integrated partners in design and strategy alike, we can’t help but look forward to what they’ll do next.