One way the Lab presents itself both internally and externally is through the use of its logo. Correct usage is critical, since it is the main way materials are visually connected to the Lab, and all the Lab stands for. If you create slides, documents, posters, or other electronic and printed materials, are you using it correctly?
The Lab’s logo consists of two parts; the graphic element and the typography. This is known as a lock-up. While there are a variety of lockups, they must not be separated or altered; they must always be shown as a whole.
The logo includes two iconic images, the ALS and the campus campanile, to show the long-standing connection between the Lab and campus. In the updated version of the logo, the lines of the image have been streamlined, making the lines equal, and providing more visual weight. This provides better reproduction for digital use. There are also more variations of lock-ups—the combination of the graphic element and the typography—so that designers can have horizontal, vertical, positive, and negative options.
How can you tell if you are using the updated logo? Count the number of windows. The ALS should have six windows, and the campanile should have two. The older logo has seven windows on the ALS and three on the campanile.
Color is an important part of the design. Color elicits an emotional response. Dark blue, our foundational color, reflects our history, offers consistency, and is associated with science and technology. It also serves as support for the brighter colors, which add excitement, call out key information, and communicate the excitement of a world-class Lab.. Color draws the eye into a design, and then directs it.
Recently, Creative Services created an identity for each division within Operations. While optional, these provide visual consistency across all of Operations and provide prominence for the division without losing the connection to the Lab. These new lock-ups reinforce Operation’s support of the mission of the Lab, and as one shuttle driver likes to say each morning, “Today is a great day to support science.”
When you are designing materials, remember that design is a problem-solving discipline where the goal is to communicate and get people’s attention. You need to think through the problem, design a solution, and measure its effectiveness at the end.
For specifics on proper usage of the Lab’s brand, please visit the “Visual Identity” section of the Creative Services web site or view this video.