Explorer Channel
- Branding
- January 17, 2018
Client: PBS North Carolina
Agency: In-House
Roles: Art Director, Designer, Animator
Objective:
Update the existing channel identity and style to fit within the family brand, modifying the title from UNC-EX to the Explorer Channel.

Process:
The overarching design themes were maintained with this update, making adjustments to align with changes to the flagship UNC-TV identity. The iconic mark remains a compass, but it is simplified to provide more flexibility and better suit trends toward iconographic styles. The gray and teal colors from the broader brand family are preserved, as is the use of Futura Standard as the base font.
All of these choices maintain the cohesiveness of the existing brand, ensuring a smooth transition for the visual appearance of on air elements and maintaining the stylistic connections to the remaining brands within the UNC-TV (now PBS North Carolina) family. As with other design updates, the intent was to move forward with improvements while causing as little disruption to the overall brand as possible.

Additional elements in the brand reflect a sense of travel and exploration, including a stylized globe and parchment texture. Video elements used in Channel Identities are framed in point-of-view, creating a sense that the channel is a portal to adventure. The channel is about displaying experience, and the branding needs to reflect a sense of embodying that experience.
The focus on programming content related to travel and exploration makes a heavy reliance on powerful video imagery the most logical choice. Selected footage needed to embody of feeling of adventure or display a beautiful, exotic location to fully embody this theme. I also looked for vibrant colors and a green, natural environment.

The resulting series of promotional elements provided an effective update to the on-air image. The overall style is much more modern, the imagery is much more engaging and impactful, and the brand identity is cleaner and clearer.