Rick Erickson
WORK
Expansion Rx
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Working with Expansion Rx was like one of those fun theme park rides. Their leaders along with their entire stakeholder team came to me creative by a freak of [boitech] nature and they were open to the many explorations we undertook in 'finding' their story. In the end, with just a slight pull back from an uneasy edge, we arrived at a look and storyline that put them in a strong market position.
Brand Focus
Graphic treatments aside (unusual for a visual designer to say), clients are most in need of a narrative; and this is where every project I take begins. If the client audience find it difficult insert themselves into the storyline, such meaningful comprehensions falter. You can see for yourself how this has translated into our solution via Expansion's website so please take a look.
This entry is a focus on how branding is a familiar a progression of thought pre-formed by audience experiences based on a familiar storyline. Magically finding the next note in your next sing-a-long breath is no fluke - rather, an innate familiarity with the pentatonic scale. Somewhat contradictory sounding, a brand will 'feel' as if something surprising is about to happen - and if done well, audience anticipation will make the reveal all the more effective. That's the power of a good brand...and novels...and movies and so on.
Expansion's visual identity came ready-made to the projects we undertook. Working with the iconic aspect of the double helix "i" in the layered, dimensional curves and shapes on the site alludes to the form. Visual impact has an unconscious force that reinforces textual claims. On the flip side, visual cues remind an audience of something they originally may have forgotten.

Beyond visual brand reflections it was important to move to the beyond in addressing Expansion's competitive edge. From interviews with the science team a story emerged that left their competitors looking flat by comparison. Crafting an in-the-round branding scenario; a no fudging the details situation - this was for real! Straight forward and powerful, those big statements below.
A bit of friction caused by contrast to setup the narrative
Small Molecules,
Big Difference
Oral Medication for Severe, RNA Mediated Disease
Expansion holds that you can throw out what you thought you knew about treating severe disease; no more risky and/or invasive interventions; more simply, a pill you take home with you and let the medicine do its work. Their confidence is firm on this and we underscored with surprising science and data in their confidential slide deck.
The statement shocked investors into a well spent $80 million series B.

A Disease to Non-disease State Metamorphosis
Graphic emphasis throughout supports the shape shifting trick of Expansion's technology in accurately connecting effective treatments to rapidly morphing networks of targets the size of RNA


