Inclusive Futures Design Lab
BriefThis project was a brief for the Griffith University Queensland College of Art. The brief required a complete brand and style guide, along with a pitch deck, promotional posters and signage. The client requested that the outcome be separate to Griffith’s brand, but since the lab also fell under the QCA umbrella, the brand needed to be creative, yet corporate to accommodate the varying stakeholders. The creative and strategic direction was left for each student to create based on their own interpretation of the nature of the lab. The target market was three-fold: undergraduate students seeking placement opportunities, HDR students seeking research opportunities, and investors/partnerships.
Concept
The strategic direction for this brief stemmed from the IF Design Lab’s core framework of co-design. The Lab’s story and brand are underpinned by its inclusive co-design framework. With a strong focus on collaboration among interdisciplinary design practitioners and industry leaders, IF Design Lab bridges the gap between academia and practice through valuable research opportunities and facilities.
Rationale
Inclusive visual communication design strategies forged the heart of the visual identity for the IF Design Lab in order to achieve its strategic concept. This was considered in typeface choices, colour palettes and contrast, alongside visual effects—down to the little things such as GIF file speeds. The brandmark itself was designed to perfectly interlock, creating an “IF”, while also symbolising the co-design methods reflective of the Lab’s environment. The icon also reflects its collaborative environment where professionals, students and participants work hand-in-hand to produce effective outcomes. The colour palette was carefully curated to balance a fun, captivating design identity with visibility, while also providing a flexible brand for the varying stakeholders.