crash course

We were the branding and graphics team for the popular YouTube education channel Crash Course from its inception in 2011 to early 2025, spanning almost 15 years of production. Covering over 60 subjects in the sciences, humanities, and beyond in 40+ episode series, every episode was based on US curriculum content for high school or college levels, and served as an invaluable aid for students and teachers.

 
 

Our original creation and inception of the Crash Course brand and art style was applied across each series in a way that brought a new flavour and aesthetic each time, while remaining true to the overarching look. Episodes carried a strong and unique sense of branding through elements such as colour, type sequences, and stylized photographic references, all adhering to a crafted list of segment types we created and applied across the board.

 
 

Illustrations were created with the utmost accuracy with the approval of Crash Course's subject matter experts with whom we worked closely and regularly. In almost 15 years we delivered weekly episodes without fail, ranging from 10-15 minutes in length with an average of 30-60% animation coverage.

 

Crash Course has garnered more than 16 million subscribers and 2 billion+ views and counting, is the recipient of various awards including YouTube Diamond Play Button, and has allowed us to amass an enormous library of proprietary art assets we still use today.

in addition we CREATED:

  • Beautiful informative merchandise like posters, mugs, stickers, buttons & more

  • Specialized art for series supporters via Patreon and Subbable

  • Branded assets & promotional art for sponsor websites, streaming platforms, fundraisers, events & festivals (such as Nerdcon)

  • Interactive products like the Crash Course app which utilizes study cards to solidify series learnings

  • Real-world application materials like curriculum workbooks for teachers and students

  • Curated Crash Course series for various organizations like The Broad Institute and Arizona State University

  • Special episode features for popular series like Ryan Reynold’s Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham

  • Series translations and conversions to Spanish and Arabic

  • Kids version of Crash Course for YouTube Kids, Crash Course Kids: Science

  • Asset library of over 50,000+ vector illustrated assets

  • Automations and tools to fast-track and create more efficient post-production processes

MERCHANDISE

 

Merchandise of all kinds was created to invoke a love for the show, but also to visualize deeper dives, such as the anatomy of a cell, or gaming console history. Fun, insider elements were created for superfans and supporters of the show through platforms like Subbable and Patreon.

 

CRASH COURSE BIOLOGY

CRASH COURSE GAMES - HISTORY OF CONSOLES

CRASH COURSE - AUGMENTED REALITY POSTER

CRASH COURSE ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY

PATREON REWARDS - PAPERDOLL SHEETS

CRASH COURSE COMPUTER SCIENCE - T-SHIRTS

SUBBABLE REWARDS - THEMED WALLPAPER CALENDARS

PATREON REWARDS - GIFS

 
“Crash​ ​Course​ ​is​ ​a​ ​prolific​ ​educational​ ​YouTube​ ​series​ ​which​ ​garners​ ​over​ ​16​ ​million subscribers,​ ​and​ over 2 billion​ ​views.​ ​Since​ ​its​ ​launch​ ​in​ ​2012,​ ​Thought​ ​Café​ ​has​ ​worked to​ ​brand,​ ​establish​ ​and​ ​maintain​ ​the​ ​series​ ​aesthetic,​ ​while​ ​providing​ ​animated​ ​content​ ​for upwards​ ​of​ ​50​ ​different​ ​series and​ ​secondary​ ​visual​ ​elements: merchandise,​ ​crowdfunding​ ​perks​,​ ​and​ ​branding​ ​for​ ​additional venues​. Our​ ​team​ ​has​ ​been​ ​pleased​ ​to​ ​work​ ​with​ ​such​ ​a​ ​committed,​ ​talented​ ​company.​ ​Their dedication​ ​to,​ ​and​ ​passion​ ​for​ ​the​ ​series​ ​has​ ​contributed​ ​significantly​ ​to​ ​its​ ​success,​ ​relevance and​ ​longevity.​ We’ve​ ​enjoyed​ ​an​ ​efficient,​ ​rewarding​ ​and ever-growing​ ​relationship and continue​ ​to​ ​find​ ​ways​ ​to​ ​improve​ ​our​ ​processes​ ​and​ ​adapt​ ​to​ ​the​ ​changing​ ​landscape​ ​of YouTube​ ​and​ ​online​ ​content,​ ​together.”
— Complexly
 

Intro Sequences

 

Unique and bespoke intro sequences were conceived of and executed for every single series opener, holding true to the classic structure of the Crash Course intro with a twist to envelop each series’ theme and subject matter.

 

CRASH COURSE CLIMATE CHANGE - INTRO SEQUENCE

CRASH COURSE BOTANY - INTRO SEQUENCE BTS

Show Packages

 

Series segments were developed and followed for each course that built repetitive familiarity for audiences, and carried each course brand. Examples of segments included type moments, on-screen graphics, historical figures, and so on.

 
 

Branding & Website Assets

Branding assets were created for lateral spaces like the Crash Course website, and streaming platforms featuring the show, as well as fundraisers, livestreams, festivals and other events.

 

WEBSITE, PLATFORM ASSETS & BANNERS

We designed the original Crash Course logo & brand, and successfully applied that logo across more than 50 iterations for different series.

LOGO CREATION & BRAND IDENTITY

 

Course Curriculum Materials

Crash Course embarked on a pilot curriculum series for World History I and US History that we adapted into student and teacher workbooks spanning thousands of pages of printable educational content.

 

Mobile App

 

The Crash Course App design included page layouts adhering to the Crash Course brand, UI elements and supporting graphic assets, and the creation of thousands of educational flash cards for Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry and Physics.