This was a truly unique project. This is a magazine. This is a brand audit with suggestions, statements of purpose, and lots of interviews. Since my background is in documentaries, I'm comfortable interviewing the team—I'm versed in taking a lot of scattered parts and assembling those words into a new whole. In June of 2016, I was given the opportunity to sculpt a new vision statement. Think of that as left brain work: analyzing and discovering the truth between each story.

Halo means a lot of things to a lot of different people. The question became: where do sentiments align? What can we rally around? What is undeniable for all aspects of the team? Meanwhile, my right brain thinks about design and clarity. I knew that it would be a long shot to get people to read 50 interviews, but I also knew that they didn't need to. The interviews existed as a backdrop to my findings. An appendix of proof that, upon examination, backed my thesis. Proof that clarified our statement for being. Ammunition to present a path worth traveling in order to thrive in the future.

343's old vision statement was about becoming a cultural touchstone. It no longer applied for many reasons. Its modality was outdated. I needed to talk to our team at 343. I needed to understand what resonated with them and what they needed from this new alignment. This was one of the longest brand examination (audit) sessions I've ever experienced, and it helped to clarify some conventional wisdom and dispel notions no longer applicable.