Case study: Henosis, from history & tradition to modernity
The Client
Henosis is a new interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed, Open Access journal—a modern day agora where scholars across the humanities and the globe meet.
The Problem
Founders Dr. Ed Teggin & Dr. Valerio Alstofi came to us with one initial problem: they wanted to set themselves apart in the market by making sure their articles look as professional and high-quality as the research contained within (uncommon amongst small Open Access publishers).
The Solution
The solution was three-pronged: first, develop branding that reflected the journal’s unique place in the market.
Second, design an article template that looks high quality & on-brand—something the publishing academics would “feel proud to show off”, which repeatedly came up as a pain point amongst academics publishing with other small journals.
Third, refine the template and create supporting SOPs to make using it foolproof for the Henosis team with its limited InDesign experience… but robust enough to allow for all the intricate formatting necessities of academic publishing.
The Sunpatch
Our approach went beyond simply crafting a unique brand and template; we prioritized empowering the business owners with the skills needed to thrive. By offering comprehensive InDesign training & supporting SOPs, we equipped them with the tools to create eye-catching articles in the journal's early days. This hands-on education allows them to maintain high-quality content until they can engage professional typesetters, ensuring their vision is consistently represented from the start.
It’s not just about design—it’s about building confidence and capability for sustainable growth.
Branding
The Process
Client interviews & market analysis | visual research | ideation | design | feedback | Revisions | hand-offThe Results
We started with branding, developing a logo and supporting brand elements that spoke to Henosis’ historical basis alongside its modern approach to publication—as well as the importance it places on the quality articles it publishes.
Key features & concepts
Logo built on Ancient Greek inspiration for the journal’s name, referencing the columns that held up ancient agoras. Clean, modern lines used to marry the ancient inspiration with a XXI Century look. For fonts, another mix of old & new, with classic serif Libre Boldoni accompanied by modern Barlow.
Responsive logo (left)
Built to transform into three main icons, each representing one of the journal pillars—literature, history, and archeology.
Focus on the article (below)
The logo is built to scale perfectly to A4 paper, ultimately to be used as a grid guide for the article template itself.
Article Template Design
The Process
Research: visual & of journal-appropriate articles | ideation | early concept & direction feedback | design | final feedback | formatting & simplifying for useThe Results
As mentioned above, visually the article template cover page was built with a grid provided by the logo itself. Three colour variations are ready for use for specialty section articles, with Henosis Teal as the main template.
Supporting Template SOPs & Education
The Process
Initial draft | test formatting, documented | marrying the two | branding and creating final document | final walkthrough | client education | resource deliveryThe Results
The SOPs to support the INDD template had to be carefully built and clearly written to empower the founders to format and publish their first articles easily and with the desired professional, finished look. The client received a walkthrough on how to use the template, a supporting video as an easy refresher whenever needed, and a 10 page procedure document that walks through the article formatting process from creating the new file through exporting it for publication.
The template file itself includes 5 main components:
Basic “getting started” instructions within the file Slug, which are complemented by & expanded upon in the supporting SOPs
A properly formatted, complete title page
A properly formatted body page including examples of most main paragraph, table, character, and figure styles
Parent pages for title page, as well as vertical and horizontal body pages
Paragraph, Character, Table, and Cell styles—clearly titled and, where relevant, organized into subfolders and grouped by where they are to be used.
The 10 page document is on brand in its own formatting, includes detailed screenshots of InDesign showcasing what the process will look like with the template itself open in the program, and a responsive Table of Contents so users can jump to whichever section is relevant to their formatting concerns and questions.
Last Words
Design sparks a colorful creative journey anchored in robust concepts and straightforward guidelines. With the right systems, brand owners can boost their image and let it flourish. Skip the chaos! In those vital early days, a brand lacking these essentials risks losing its spark.
Partnering with Henosis was a delight—we helped its founders build a mission-driven brand identity and craft timeless assets that shine before launch. Let’s collaborate to make your brand story unforgettable!