Logo for the Center for Cognitive Computing Systems Research
In 2016, IBM and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign entered into a partnership to create the Center for Cognitive Computing Systems Research. This state-of-the-art center would focus on the advancement of machine learning and “heterogeneous computing systems” for cognitive computing.
One of my favorite tasks as a designer is when I’m asked to design a logo/branding. I find the iterative process to finding a clear identity to be fun, challenging and ultimately rewarding.
This project posed three challenges:
1) Since the IBM SVP & Director of IBM Research was personally invested in this project, the logo needed to be beyond professional. This wasn’t a one-off for an in-house event- it would define a partnership with one of the biggest Fortune 500 companies in the world, and would be used for publications, signage and corporate communications for years to come.
2) There was an extremely tight deadline: The logo needed to be delivered and approved by the head of IBM research in a matter of days, so time was of the essence.
3) Though the subject matter was extremely complex, we had to find a way to simplify the branding in a way that was clear, self-explanatory, and easily replicated across a multitude of media.
The only direction I received was to somehow incorporate the orange color of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Beyond that, this began as a blank slate.
My first decision was to create a logo that was mainly text, and avoid complicated imagery/objects. The next step was to somehow simplify the extremely long center name. A “chemical compound”/“exponential number” solution was the way to go. Moving forward, we wanted to give the logo a very simple “70’s science textbook” feel - something that was extremely clean and easy to read. Lastly, the inclusion of the full text title of the center alongside the “badge” made for a very clear, structured build - and it lent itself to being displayed in full, or just as a square badge.
Not only was this logo a huge success, the "C3SR" moniker was adopted as shorthand for the center - something I consider the biggest compliment of all.
Please note that the examples of the logo "in use" are hypothetical examples ONLY. They are not real-world examples.
