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The Research on Research Institute is transforming research systems and cultures, ensuring that academia and research funders have the evidence to unlock the full potential of the US$3 trillion invested globally in research for public good.
Founded in 2019, the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) is an international consortium that studies how research works. It uses data and evidence to improve how research is funded, organised, evaluated and carried out. RORI’s aim is to make research systems more effective, open and have greater impact.
This work is becoming increasingly important as AI transforms how research is carried out, creating new opportunities to improve scientific productivity while raising important questions about the research process.
RoRI wanted a new website that shows the quality, impact and ambition of its work, positioning it at the forefront of debates on the future of research.
Our brief was to create a more engaging homepage, present research outputs, events and people more effectively, develop a distinctive visual identity, and bring greater consistency across publications, reports, presentations and other communications.
The original RoRI logo was linear and flat. We redesigned it as a playful and colourful set of interdisciplinary building blocks, reflecting research as a creative, multidimensional activity in which ideas are tested, combined and refined. The ‘o’ and ‘i’ evoke the digital and data-driven nature of metascientific inquiry.
“The behaviour of a system cannot be known just by knowing the elements of which the system is made”
We expanded the identity into a comprehensive guide and toolkit, showing how the new visual language works across physical and digital touchpoints.
The new website positions RoRI as a hub for resources, projects, news, events and team profiles.
We also embedded a not-for-profit chat engine that helps visitors discover the diversity of RoRI’s work.
Our custom-made publication templates support working papers, impact reports and a series of insight and policy documents that highlight the key actions and findings from their international research teams.
“Thanks to colleagues at Design Science for helping out so diligently to get this report over the line on time… I think it looks fabulous and hopefully will make a lot of noise. MUCH appreciated, in both style and substance!”
We created a library of bespoke illustrations using visual metaphors to bring complex metascience topics to life.
The new identity extends naturally across infographics, icons, presentation templates, stationery and social media assets, giving the team a flexible toolkit for communicating its work consistently.
Metascience is often understood as a way to make research more efficient and effective – more bang for your buck. But in an age of deepening ecological crisis and social division, efficiency alone is not enough.
Our goal as designers is to help researchers from different disciplines, institutions and countries communicate with one another about emerging ideas, discoveries and shared ambitions, while also opening those conversations to wider public engagement.
If you’re exploring the edges of science, systems or society – and wondering how design can support your work – we’d love to hear from you.
