HEART Initiative
Human-systems Engineering for Adaptive,
Real-World, & Translational Applications
Branding for research and industry partnership.
The HEART Initiative (Human-systems Engineering for Adaptive, Real-World, & Translational Applications) is lead by Drs. Ranjana Mehta and Tony McDonald of Industrial & Systems Engineering. The group aims to empower human workers within ever-advancing complex technological systems—translating research on ergonomics, teamming, AI, and extended reality for real-world situations. They envision a world where intelligent systems are engineered for human readiness, enabling people and technology to perform safely and efficiently together at their full potential.
Our goals
- Build a cohesive campus center co-brand.
- Leverage existing research expertise.
- Foster industry partnership and researcher recruitment.
- Translate complex research across audiences.
- Utilize cross-media communications, including video.
The challenge
HEART is a new group that builds on a novel idea in engineering: that technology should advance alongside human readiness. HEART wanted to create materials that accessibly explain the cutting-edge goals of their initiative while still highlighting their robust research reputation.
Our approach
From website to event promotion and industry outreach materials, RIO created a complete professional brand for HEART to use in their recruitment and partnership efforts.
Our work included:
- Naming
- Branding development
- Logo design
- Strategic comms
- Content creation
- Web design & build
- Copywriting & editing
The website was the primary deliverable from this project. It needed to draw industry partners in without distilling the science for potential collaborators. Ranjana and Tony played a key role in nailing down name, palette, and copy tone with RIO.
The imagery and graphics were chosen specifically to highlight the wide range of ways that human workers interact with systems, with subtle AI-inspired details. The main mark depicts abstract “humans” and “robots” working harmoniously, with very little to distinguish them as they team. Co-branded with UW red, the rich blue color and gradients connect to high-tech manufacturing and serve to calm the palette. The web copy is carefully crafted to lead viewers toward the message they need—and help researchers discover how HEART’s vision can apply to their work.
The impact
Through a colorful co-branding approach, the HEART Initiative materials draw on the strength and recognition of the UW–Madison brand while establishing a distinct identity for the group.
The site creates clear pathways for collaborators and industry partners to learn about the initiative’s research and how it applies to them in the real world.
Designed to grow alongside the initiative, it provides a flexible foundation for communicating automation innovations and fostering new research collaborations.
The results
A professional, co-branded web presence that reflects both UW–Madison’s human-systems engineering expertise and the group’s unique, forward-thinking mission.
Through close collaboration between researcher and communicator, complex science was transformed into clear, engaging content that helps collaborators and industry partners connect with HEART’s work. This foundation positions them for continued growth, visibility, and impact.
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