Case Study: "Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight"
How can our highly complex world become safer?
Named after the Greek goddess of practical knowledge and wise counsel, the “Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight” is dedicated to strategically relevant issues of current and future international politics.
Research focus
Geopolitics and international security
Client
Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Responsibilities
Bilingual full-service support – details at bottom of page
Period
since 2019
Links
Foresight to amaze
In recent years, society’s interest in the topic of security policy has risen sharply. This confirms the significance of the scientifically sound work of the experts at the Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight. Together with them, we are continuously developing new, suitable and creative formats for presenting and making accessible the complex and sometimes difficult topics. In a close and trusting cooperation, we work on the scicomm strategies to best communicate the highly socially relevant topics. The aim is to contribute to an informed society that can face difficult challenges in an informed, mature and well thought out manner.
Metis – knowledge & wise advice
Named after the Greek goddess of practical knowledge and wise counsel, “Metis” was launched in 2017 as a research project at the University of the Federal Armed Forces Munich (UniBW) and established as a research institute in 2021. The researchers are dedicated to strategically relevant questions of current and future international politics.
From the outset, Metis has been dedicated to forging closer links between university research and political practice. To this end, it combines the continuous and scientifically sound pursuit of long-term issues with problem-oriented and interdisciplinary consulting services for the Policy Division of the Federal Ministry of Defence.
For this purpose, it publishes compact scientific studies, interviews, analyses and joint publications at high frequency, sometimes at extremely short notice. They are published freely accessible on its website under a Creative Commons licence. It also organises events and engages in dialogue with researchers from other disciplines and participants from government, business and civil society.
Accuracy, speed, innovation
We were able to support the “Metis” pilot project at an early stage in the development of the public image as well as the design and production of publications. We refined the visual brand identity, developed a modular design grid for four different types of publication (study, interview, fiction, collective publications), which allows flexibility for different editorial designs as well as a standardised design and also enables an efficient production process.
During the transition from the pilot project to the “Institute for Strategy and Foresight”, we fundamentally revised the brand identity and created the compact logo with the institute suffix in addition to the figurative and word mark. The existing publications were transferred to the new design, the institute’s website and the necessary business and office equipment and presentation materials were newly created. All bilingual in German and English.
The researchers’ openness to creative solutions encourages the constant development of further media formats to make the research content accessible to a wider audience. This has resulted in video interviews with animated on-air design, Twitter audio teasers for Metis publications and the idea for a video discussion round. We were even able to develop and produce advertising materials in the context of security and foresight, such as webcam stickers, RFID blockers or umbrellas with Metis branding.
Metis is therefore one of the clients that we support with our holistic approach as a full-service creative studio for scicomm, and for whom we provide everything from consulting and conceptualisation to cross-media production. Always open, interested, proactive and forward-thinking – just like the client.
Knowledge only multiplies
if you share it
The primary addressee of Metis publications is the Policy Division of the Federal Ministry of Defence. However, it has been a priority for Metis from the outset to make its findings, analyses and assessments accessible to the public. This is done on the Metis website. In Study 12 “Global Health”, for example, the risk of pandemics was already discussed in July 2019. This is another reason why an appealing and clear design was a prerequisite for Metis right from the start.
We have been supporting Metis researchers in the creation of their bilingual publications since the first studies. Starting with advice on the comprehensibility of the content, proofreading the texts, developing the image concepts and editorial design through to media distribution. We always pay attention to the triad of appealing visual presentation, accessible, recognisable design and clear, comprehensible communication. We pay particular attention to this because of the complex issues and often sensitive topics involved.
Time and again, publications are produced at very short notice as a quick reaction to current political developments. In these cases, too, we have been a precise and reliable partner for years and ensure smooth processes and professional results with well-coordinated processes.
We also apply foresight at Metis with regard to the environment: All printed matter is printed in Germany on 100% recycled paper certified with the Blue Angel.
Our contribution
Services
Bilingual
Work process: German
Products: German & English
Presentation
Shares of the total scope of services
Products
Logo, logo animation, corporate design, style guide, on-air motion graphics, business cards, business stationery, presentation templates, infographics; publications: studies, interviews, collective publications, leaflets, displays, QR codes, pull-up banners, website, Twitter graphics & AV teasers, video interviews with subtitles; office and conference equipment; promotional materials with foresight: umbrellas, webcam blockers, RFID blockers
Partners
- Team Metis
- Jens Hofmayer: Logo redesign, webdesign
- Daniel Hiepler: Website realisation & maintenance
- Lukas Thorsson: Motion graphics
- Katja Faier: Image conception
- Jan Lösch-Schloms: Image research
- Ariane Wilhelmi: Image research
Further work
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