SCImago

SCImago is known worldwide for its work in science and research. Félix de Moya, the company’s CEO, started it as a university research project that is now recognized worldwide for developing bibliometric analysis and data visualization tools that turn open knowledge into actionable decisions.

The company’s flagship tool is the SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR), a platform used by virtually every academic researcher. Over time, they’ve expanded their influence into other domains with tools like the SCImago Institutions Rank (SIR) and SCImago Graphica. All of their efforts follow the same north star: increasing the social, scientific, and institutional impact of rigorous, transparent, and accessible knowledge.

We had already worked with their team on the SCImago Media Rankings brand—an innovative branch of their value proposition that applies scientific rigor to the media sector. This time, the focus was different: making the parent brand and SJR look as good as they truly are.

Building on previous work

With SCImago Media Rankings, we carried out an in-depth immersion process. Team interviews, conversations with collaborators, benchmarking… Everything needed to understand a reality as complex as it is nuanced.

That’s when we realized SCImago is much more than a set of data-driven tools. It’s a global-minded scientific organization capable of turning open knowledge into real impact.

Having a clear understanding of that foundation made this second phase much more agile. We held a few additional conversations to capture specific nuances, but we were able to fully leverage the knowledge already at hand.

We say it often: authenticity is one of the most valuable investments when working with brands.

Strategy and brand architecture

The first step was to consolidate SCImago’s global strategy by defining a brand platform with shared tools. From its purpose —Unleashing the impact of open knowledge—to a positioning statement that captures its full essence: SCImago is the global company that leverages data to enable researchers, organizations, and society go beyond the power of open knowledge.

Operating in the territory of actionable trust, this organization brings to life the personality of a trailblazing researcher—one that meets the needs of a world in search of both trust and wisdom.

What about naming?

Years ago, for operational reasons, SCImago picked up a few extra labels —Lab in some touchpoints, Research Group in others. This led to inconsistencies in how the brand was used, creating uncertainty within the team. We solved it with a simple but decisive choice: from now on, the parent brand will be SCImago—with the first three letters in uppercase as a core identity marker. The decision wasn’t just technical (shorter, simpler, more euphonic), but also cultural: within the scientific community, this version already had strong, widespread recognition.

A modular visual identity

The name SCImago is a construct that references the image of science. That idea is the foundation of the visual identity: graphics as a representation of knowledge.

The new visual identity is system-based. From a shared foundation, each sub-brand adapts with flexibility. That’s the case of the SCImago Journal & Country Rank: by using different tools —like a refreshed color palette that adds impact and character—we ensured consistency across the system.

This modular logic is especially clear in the symbols. The SCImago (parent brand) symbol represents the many projects it embraces. It was developed from a core block that is also present in each individual project.

Product design to express the new brand universe

Once the strategic and visual pillars were in place, we focused on a complete redesign of SCImago’s digital homes. Their websites are key touchpoints, especially in the case of SJR.

We approached the work with strategic ambition and used the design system to ensure that all sites are consistent and express the new brand identity. We also looked for ways to improve the user experience where needed. For example, the new SJR site now includes sections that didn’t existe before, such as highlights and FAQs.

All pages now speak the same visual language and follow a narrative structure tailored to the needs of those on the other side of the screen. That’s how the brand is projected: as a wise, rigorous organization that empowers decision-makers through knowledge.

And that’s still our focus. We developed the full launch campaign, from the communication plan to the execution of every asset, using SOL —Soluble’s AI tool for generating content at scale, always aligned with the brand.

Branding in service of the SCImago team. Branding in service of open knowledge.