Mystery was founded as a way of creating better explanations for every question children have. They began with the 150 most common science questions, initially as an interactive curriculum to help teachers during their classes. Over time the product evolved to a range of video explanations, to keep inspiring a generation of better thinkers. After defining their place in the world, it was time to develop a brand system. To do that, we drew inspiration from Cabinets of Curiosities of old. These pre-modern museums exhibited a wide variety of objects and artifacts. They, like Mystery, help to reveal and document the secrets of this wonderful world.
Since late 2020 Mystery is part of the Discovery Education group.
We created a flexible grid
system combined with remarkable frames — a fresh take on Cabinets of Curiosities, reimagined in a contemporary way.
The design system encourages the use of key questions paired with imagery, prompting the viewer to ponder and dig deeper into the mysteries that the questions hold.
The brand had to appeal to teachers, parents, school boards, but most importantly capture the hearts and minds of children, through digital and physical experiences.
Design Studio: DesignStudio | Creative Directors: James Hurst, Luke Stenzhorn | Strategy: Sophie Kaady
Design Director: André Coelho* | Designers: Lisa Lindh, Silvia Abruzzese | San Francisco, 2020
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*As a Design Director, I led a small team of designers, overseeing the creative direction and also being a hands on designer.