Los Alamos National Laboratory brand identity
I led a rebrand of Los Alamos National Laboratory to ensure consistent branding across all internal and external communications and products. This multi-year effort includes direct contributions from over 70 communicators at the Lab and advances all aspects of the Lab’s identity, including brand architecture, style guides, templates, stock items, signage, creative content, and strategic campaigns.
Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of the world’s most innovative multidisciplinary research institutions. Established in 1943 to conduct scientific research for the Manhattan Project, the lab now specializes in a wide range of progressive science, technology, and engineering across many fields, including space exploration, geophysics, renewable energy, supercomputing, medicine, and nanotechnology.
‘One Lab, One Voice’ proposal
In its 80 year history, LANL never had a brand, only a logo. As the visual inventory here illustrates, the existing Lab brand lacked cohesion, standard, and authority, provided a poor user experience for the workforce and customers, and wasn’t flexible for modern platforms and media.
I first collaborated with Lab leadership to define our culture: How we do our work is as important as what we do. To bring a new perspective, literally, to our brand, we began by designing in three-dimensions. This approach was exciting because it points toward a more inventive way of working, a metaphor for our values. Furthermore, the momentum and geometry of the new logomark represents the Lab’s forward-looking vision and global influence.
After eight months of research, discovery interviews, and design iteration, the ‘One Lab, One Voice’ proposal was approved as-is by Lab leadership and the Department of Energy.
Core brand templates
To introduce the brand, we first addressed high-visibility touchpoints that would have a big impact but that didn’t require massive coordination. This included all new communications templates, re-skinned digital products, and signage and wayfinding the in the Lab’s most highly-trafficked facilities. Standardized design templates prioritized accessibility and ADA compliance.
The goal of the initial rollout was to get the brand into the workforce’s hands as quickly as possible so that everyone felt invested and part of it.
Brand guidelines
The Design & Brand Guidelines helps to build internal trust and gives legitimacy to the branding effort. It is the creative teams’ north star.
We continue to expand and refine the guidance as we discover new opportunities for the brand and areas that need further clarification.
Brand architecture
LANL is a large and complex institution, made up of 900 individual facilities on 40 square miles, with a total workforce of 17,000. It was imperative that we implemented a flexible brand architecture that could accommodate a wide variety of organizations and products, both internal and external.
The dozens of brand treatments made to-date have been used on everything from buildings and vehicles, to publications and digital products.
Creative content
Creative content such as photographs, illustrations, murals, and exhibits present the opportunity for imaginative, inclusive, and eye-catching brand expressions.
We developed a system to allow these efforts to materialize across a variety of channels and touchpoints, while maintaining brand cohesion throughout. For illustration, we created guidance for illustration as design and illustration as story. For photography, we define five visual and thematic approaches.
Brand journey
Increasing both the quantity and quality of recruitment was a primary goal of the the ‘One Lab, One Voice’ rebrand.
We implemented an omnichannel recruitment brand strategy, and created guidance that provides styles and standards for every recruitment touchpoint, with the goal of driving jobseeker traffic to the new lanl.jobs website.
After one year, we progressed the job application completion rate to 50% and increased the average site time to 14 minutes.
The outcome
LANL’s products now not only look better, but work better too. The brand has demonstrated value in contributing the Lab’s goals, and resonates with the workforce, prospective employees, and customers.
Importantly, it now also aligns with the core values, vision, and culture of the institution.
