I was quickly playing around with some branding-related ideas before class this morning. As you can see, I was exploring some typographic ideas starting with arrangements similar to the current Helvetica wordmark. I incorporated group names into the wordmark with the intent of underscoring that the Lab is composed of its constituent groups; rather different, I think, than the way the two are presented on our business cards, for example. Thinking about the E14 and this typographic hierarchy led me to experimenting with color and layouts inspired by Maki's proposed signage (mid to lower left). I believe the shades of gray work well, blending with the austere, bright, look of E14, but also the aluminum panels and dark gray bands of E15.

Although Jacqueline Casey's Here-There-inspired brand makes use of color and we have come to associate the Noland colors with the Lab, E15 is predominantly in shades of gray, as well. Can we retain the form of the Media Lab color bars, but make them independent of color? I only just started to play with this on the right, but also used the gray version of the bar in my wayshowing designs for signage that was not Media Lab specific (i.e. related to the building or other departments in E15/E14). In the colorless version, I think the elements would still need to be constrained by the proportions of the original brand bars. The Casey colors can be used when necessary. Like our business cards, a simple three-color pattern of could be chosen as an identity for each group. Groups would then have a color scheme and identifying pattern that would tie into the larger Media Lab brand, much the way color is used to signify a department or function in some military uniforms.

I was considering the different looks of E15 and E14 themselves. Pei's design of E15 has a distinct simple impression when the Noland influence is removed. E14 will have a different look, without a strong grid or divisions, but with the pipe screens. At the bottom right, I started to play with these simplified impressions of E15 abutting E14, a unified complex, while still preserving a Noland/Casey-like bar with segments of different value.

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The second image shows some things that would probably greatly upset Maki. I then went on to incorporate some Maki-style typography into the E14 atria. The lower version uses title-case boldface as in the current identity and also is inverted; white on gray. The placement of text invokes architectural engraving traditions. With a listing of research groups on the corresponding floor, it also has a wayfinding function. (Of course, the text would need to be somewhat easily changed as groups come and go or are renamed. Also, there is an ambiguity as to whether the text refers to the floor above or below.) I'm not sure I like the type entering into the space on this scale. The two lines of group names could reference group locations in double-height spaces. Above the text on the soffits, the Casey bar appears as variable-valued frosting of the panes in the glass railing. The panes, however, don't match the original proportions.

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