The Builder Platform

What They Saw

Strengthening the Future of Tough Tech Innovation

The Builder Platform (TBP) is a nonprofit funded by the National Science Foundation and owned by The Engine—a “Tough Tech” incubator born out of MIT. As a network for Tough Tech innovators, The Builder Platform connects scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to the resources they need to scale and succeed (think capital, partners, tools, and more).
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Tough Tech: Transformational technology in science and engineering that solves the world’s most important challenges.
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TBP came to us for a new website, but what they needed was a clear path forward. At the beginning of 2025, federal funding shifted, causing many nonprofits to suspend programs and lay off staff. TBP’s future depended on becoming a self-sufficient brand. One that could attract new funders, communicate clearly to target audiences, and grow independently of The Engine.

Strategy

Brand Identity

Messaging

Website Design

Internal Toolkit

Brand Challenge

A complex message and an outgrown brand foundation

The Builder Platform had a bold vision: to help regional “builders” bridge the gap between their groundbreaking ideas and real-world impact. But their brand wasn’t built to support it.

TBP’s website felt outdated and disconnected from the parent brand. And their messaging made an already complex brand (networking platform for Tough Tech) even more confusing and inaccessible. It didn’t resonate with their key audiences.

Internally, the team felt creatively stunted, limited by tools and systems they couldn’t leverage from a past branding project (with another agency). Their brand lived in Figma files they couldn’t update, a website they couldn’t maintain, and design rules they couldn’t follow. TBP needed a strategic rebrand, and they needed it fast.

Vidi entered as a strategic partner, not just a creative team. Through discovery workshops, market research, and candid conversations, we uncovered two underlying issues beneath TBP’s challenges: brand and information architecture.

What We Saw

Designing systems to inspire

First, brand architecture. The Builder Platform needed brand independence—the space to breathe and grow, the strength to stand on its own—while still feeling connected to The Engine. We started with brand identity, creating a visual system that added context and human warmth to Tough Tech jargon. The refreshed logo, typography, color scheme, and web design made TBP more approachable.

Second, the information system. TBP had a sprawling ecosystem of information—programs, technologies, resources, field insights, and more—but no system for organizing or communicating it. We refined their messaging hierarchy, simplified their copy (as much as possible), and restructured their web content to tell a clearer story.
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Next, we created a design system. Complete with easy-to-use Canva templates, brand assets, color schemes (no complex gradients or textures), and design rules. We also designed and developed a new Webflow site that TBP can easily update as the brand evolves.

Where They Are

The momentum of identity clarity

“[Vidi] went above and beyond to meet our timelines and goals…they truly listened and reflected back a better version of what they heard.”

Senior Platform Manager at The Builder Platform

The early impact is less about metrics and more about momentum. The Builder Platform and The Engine are now better aligned as parent and child brands. The team feels empowered and relieved—no longer boxed in by unusable systems or assets. With a refreshed identity and a website built for growth, they can operate with confidence and independence, trusting their new brand to attract funders and support builders.

Just as TBP bridges the gap between groundbreaking ideas and real-world impact, their new brand is the bridge to the future they envisioned.

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