DEBUNKR – ART DIRECTION
I designed the DEBUNKR brand and style guide for JT Chapman, creator of the YouTube channel Second Thought. Unlike the political content JT’s currently known for, the early days of the Second Thought channel were focused on fun-fact science content. As his interest in covering politics grew, JT sought an outlet for debunking misinformation. He thought that a new YouTube channel would perhaps be necessary, and soon commissioned me for the project. JT provided the DEBUNKR name, and I provided everything else. JT loved my work on this, but ultimately decided that it made more sense to simply refocus the Second Thought brand towards politics. This decision allowed his existing channel to serve much the same purpose as DEBUNKR would have.
LOGOS
I created the DEBUNKR brand several years before the image of an upside down American flag ever became weaponized by one particular political party. Needless to say, this brand is not associated with that usage of the symbol. Rather, I drew inspiration from the logo of the TV show House of Cards, and chose the image of an upside down American flag for only two simple reasons:
- It’s seldom seen in pop culture or daily American life, and can thus appear provocative to some at first glance. That provocation is useful for bringing attention to the brand.
- The upside down flag is actually our national sign of distress (a feeling on which all political parties can agree).
PRIMARY LOGO
SECONDARY LOGO
INSPIRATION BOARD
I created this inspiration board before conceptualizing the DEBUNKR logo and brand. Evaluating existing brands helps me to find a fitting aesthetic. I knew that I wanted DEBUNKR to feel edgy, but not revolutionary or anti-American. I also wanted it to appeal to an online millennial and Gen Z audience.
COLORS
TYPOGRAPHY
