MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best, is a community of members and instructors connected by the desire to learn, grow and be inspired.

After 5 years, the brand had moved into mainstream culture and needed an identity that better reflected its best-in-class offering. The brief was to elevate MasterClass while emphasizing their commitment to diversity of thought through an increasing variety of instructors and classes. The brand needed an identity distinctive enough to both sit above and unite a range of high-profile instructors, many with strong name recognition and personal brands of their own.

The new identity is tailored to the offering: a cinematic, unified platform that opens up to a colorful variety of top-tier instruction within.

The design language is inspired by cinema, a nod to the production value and quality of the classes themselves. Compositional and typographic cues nod to the language of film posters. A filmstrip device also captures the idea of an edit in still form; the instructors, their knowledge, craft, and expertise can be seen across many frames at once.

The logo is an evolution inspired by the original mark. A modern take on a classical serif, purposely leaving room for interpretation – a subtle nod to critical thinking. The implied underscore reinforced throughout the platform conveys a blank space to be filled, a new skill to be learned, the potential and possibility of today.

Brand-level expressions are confident and consistent: a single typeface and a signature color. But each instructor now has their own distinct visual identity: a unique nameplate, font, and colorway to complement their personal style within the MasterClass brand. A limited secondary color palette and just two type families provide a wide variety of combinations to support the growing roster of experts and expertise.