University Press of Colorado

University Press of Colorado is no stranger to Third Sun. Back in 2014 when the Press was turning 50, we helped them rebrand with imagery inspired by Boulder’s Flatiron mountains, and have supported them as their website has evolved and grown with book titles. The time had come for a web redesign, including considering a few extra needs in the mix — they’d recently added the University Press of Alaska and the University of Wyoming Press as imprints and were seeking branding for the latter.

Our team worked together to brainstorm imagery that would suit the needs of the University of Wyoming Press to feel representative of the state and school as well as the content and subjects of the Press specifically. This was a great example of how sometimes being forced to going back to the drawing board can result in something even better than you had before. Initially, our designer Delaney come up with a bison logo that everyone loved but we ultimately had to scrap due to an existing imprint with a bison theme. Delaney’s second round of designs featured the Wyoming state bird, the striking Western Meadowlark, and although we were sad to see the bison go, the new branding suite was even better than the first!

For the website, we focused on a much more accessible and user-friendly design, working to make it easier to search the 2,500+ titles. We re-focused the layout for individual book title pages with strong visuals and intuitive and streamlined information. We also made it easier than ever to search and sort different authors, subjects, and more through the use of tags. 

The site has a vast wealth of titles and information — from poetry to academic research on a vast array of topics. If you’re in the mood to browse, it’s great to leisurely peruse as well. Check it out and add some great titles to your reading list!