Note: this is a historical document. It was created in 2018, and was updated with refinements to brand assets through 2020.
The brand story and principles have not changed. However, for the latest brand assets, please refer to The Lawrence staff site.
Our Brand
Brand Story
The Lawrence Hall of Science is both grounded in history and pushing the edges of science education. We inspire people, processes and outcomes around the world.
We do this by questioning, learning, evolving, and always embodying the spirit of science. After all, the work we do isn’t about us.
It’s about tomorrow’s thinkers, inventors and change-makers. It’s about empowering educators with the tools to improve science learning. It’s about engaging diverse audiences so the world of science looks like the world at large.
Science starts at The Lawrence. But there’s no telling how far we will take it.
Content
Welcome to
The Lawrence
First, a word about brand.
A brand is more than words, a logo or a a set of fonts. It’s a story, a mood, a tone of voice, an experience. It’s a system that works together to express a personality and a point of view. While a brand is the external expression of an organization, it can have profound (and energizing!) effects on the organization internally.
This brand identity system works in concert with the strategic vision to guide The Lawrence into the next fifty years.
What's Inside
Inside you’ll find The Lawrence brand personality, visual communication elements, and sample applications of how The Lawrence brand comes to life in the space, the materials, and the audience experience.
To stay true to The Lawrence brand, it’s important to apply the elements in this document consistently. This document is not exhaustive; rather, it is intended to inspire and inform further development of the system to complete a full kit of parts.
Let’s take a look.
Design Principles
These are the golden rules for communications that extend across space, digital and print expressions.
Connect the Dots
01 Design cohesive stories, rather than discrete moments
02 Provide clear pathways for audiences to level-up their scientific knowledge
03 Enable self-directed understanding in addition to high-touch guidance
04 Bring The Lawrence experience outside the space to pull visitors in (think: across the plaza, into Tilden Park)
Create Inclusive Experiences
01 Empower learners across ages and comfort levels with accessible ways in to the content
02 Create dynamic experiences that reward repeat engagement
03 Communicate with each audience in the modes and mediums that make sense to them
Lead with Inspiration
01 Place science in the context of everyday life and events
02 Connect inspiring outcomes to the journey of discovery
03 Highlight humanity in the process and impact of scientific development
04 Go big or go home: use scale to your advantage.
Visual Overview
The visual expression of our brand is designed to be as flexible as the various audiences we interact with and the products and programs we create. Here is an overview of our visual system. A deeper dive into the visual design guidelines is provided in section two.
Brand Architecture
The Lawrence has many offers: from museum visits to hands-on learning labs, educator learning to curriculum development. An institution this complex requires a simple brand architecture.
The Lawrence is used to endorse different products, services, or events that happen both on-site and around the world. This creates a coherent system with the potential to unify our many offers within a single brand system.
Overview
01 —
Master Brand Expression
Used for colloquial moments, specifically communications focused on the space, and parent or student audience. This serves as a shorthand for the Lawrence Hall of Science, and can be used to endorse events, programs, or products produced in-house (see below).
When to use this format
- Museum collateral and visitor guide
- Within conversation on site and on the floor (e.g. "Welcome to The Lawrence")
When not to use this format
- In reference to institutional or academic expressions of our work (e.g. the letterhead)
- In moments when our affiliation with research and UC Berkeley is beneficial
02 —
Research and Academics
The full name and logomark can be used in moments when the brand needs to be more serious and academic: on letterhead, for donor reports, or in formal language. As far as the brand goes, think of this mark as business formal: use it when you want to clean up or impress, and make sure you bring it out for special occasions.
When to use this format
- With products that are produced in partnership with multiple brands, or that are controlled by specific publishers
BaySci by The Lawrence Hall of Science
Amplify Science by The Lawrence Hall of Science
FOSS by The Lawrence Hall of Science
- In fundraising, grant applications, and explicit references to the research conducted by The Lawrence Hall of Science.
When not to use this format
- With consumer-facing products, programs and services that require a pithy brand endorsement
The Lawrence Hall of Science Sunkits
The Lawrence Hall of Science Learning Labs
03 —
Products, Programs and Services
The Lawrence can be used typographically to endorse brands, products, and services that are fully produced and owned by the Lawrence Hall of Science. This draws a strong brand association and consistent usage among currently unrelated brand expressions.
When to use this format
- Products owned by The Lawrence
The Lawrence Sunkits
The Lawrence Teacher Toolkit
- Programs produced by The Lawrence
The Lawrence Discovery Camps
The Lawrence Learning Labs
The Lawrence Educator Learning Program
The Lawrence Beetles Program
- Services that act as extensions of the museum brand
The Lawrence On-The-Go
When not to use this format
- Products that are owned or produced by a third party, publisher-dependent curriculum.
The Lawrence Amplify Science
The Lawrence FOSS
04 —
Events and Activities
The Lawrence can appear in a headline to introduce on-site events or activities that don't have their own brand, or that are more casual in nature.
When to use this format
- Events or one-off activities that don't have an attached product/brand
Sunday Fundays at The Lawrence
NightLife at The Lawrence
Field Trips at The Lawrence
When not to use this format
- Products or services that have their own stand-alone brand (anything that fits the category above)
The Labs at The Lawrence
Beetles at The Lawrence
Discovery Camps at The Lawrence
Design Elements
Logotype
As described in the brand architecture section, the new brand identity is designed to shift emphasis to “The Lawrence” as a shorthand for the physical and intellectual space. This is represented typographically by using solid type (The Lawrence) paired with outlined type (Hall of Science). In addition to producing our logotype lock-up, this forms the basis of a typographic system that is expressed throughout the brand.
Scale and Use
We've provided two sizes of each logo (Small and Regular) to be used at different breaking points on designed brand assets. Small logos should be used on assets that are hand-held, e.g. books, brochures, business cards. Regular logos should be used on assets seen from an arms-length, that are the scale of average human height (e.g. posters, tote bags, van skin, banners), or that will be viewed from a longer distance (e.g. billboards and exterior signage).
When deciding which logo to use for your design, be sure to first consider the brand architecture guidelines to determine which logotype is appropriate for your audience/content. Then, refer to the below guidelines regarding scale. The different sizes of logotypes have been specifically designed to ensure legibility and structural integrity. These guidelines to help you know which logo to use.
Master Logo
Use the Regular version when scaling the logo larger than 2" h. Never scale below 2"h.
Use the Small version when scaling the logo smaller than 2" h. Never scale smaller than 0.5" h.
Master-Regular
Master — Small
Master Logo — Extended Version
Use the Regular version when scaling the logo larger than 4"h. Never scale below 4"h.
Use the Small version when scaling the logo smaller than 4" h. Never scale smaller than 1.25" h.
If the logo needs to be scaled BELOW 1.25" h., use the Master — Small logotype found above.
Master Extended — Regular
Master Extended — Small
Master Logo —
Sentence Version
This version should only be used inset into a sentence structure. See the guidelines around Orientation for usage.
Use the Regular version when scaling the logo larger than 2" h. Never scale below 2"h.
Use the Small version when scaling the logo smaller than 2" h. Never scale smaller than 0.5" h.
Master Sentence — Regular
Master Sentence — Small
Institutional Logo
Use the Regular version when scaling the logo larger than 4"h. Never scale below 4" h.
Use the Small version when scaling the logo below 4" h. Never scale smaller than 2" h (excluding the business card).
Institutional — Regular
Institutional — Small
Orientation
The and Lawrence should always appear stacked.
When using the sentence structure of the logotype for on-site events and programs, The Lawrence can appear on the same line.
In this case, it is also better to inset the The Lawrence logotype into the sentence, rather than typing it out.
Clear Space & Layout
The clear space around the logo is the space that must be left empty between the logotype and any other visual element (except the supernova).
The clear space corresponds to the capitol L from the logotype at its applied scale. The L must align to the outermost element in the logotype on that corresponding side.
The only time the clear space guideline does not apply is when the supernova is placed in close proximity to the logotype. These elements can sit together.
To compliment the structural impact and asymetry of our left-aligned logotype, it is best practice to align the logotype to the left and bottom in compositions.
Never center the logotype.
Supernova
Science and the natural world are filled with shapes, movement, and energy: from celestial bodies to microscopic elements, from the shape of a cyclotron to the delicate form of a dandelion. The Lawrence ‘supernova’ brings together these ideas into a graphic element that represents the spark of an idea. The Lawrence is the center point that connects educators and changemakers, students and content. It indicates our optimistic, inclusive movement towards the future.
A Generative Element
The possibilities are endless when it comes to using the supernova, and the myriad supernova variations that can be created.
For use in presentations and internally produced brand assets, a set of supernovas for different scales of usage and with differing numbers of lines have been provided.
There is never a need to build or customize your own supernova, unless you are a graphic designer.
Refer to the guidelines below for best practices in incorporating the supernova in designs.
*Graphic Designers: at the end of this section, find download links for a guide on building supernovas in Illustrator, what to do and not do with the supernova, and the pattern brush used to create them.
The Supernova is not our logo.
The supernova is a distinct part of our visual system. It is used to bring spirit, dynamism and visual impact to select compositions. It is not our logomark and should not be used in every visual expression of our brand, nor should is ever stand alone in representing the brand .
Two Supernova Structures
There are two variations of the supernova. One has 16 "beams" (or lines), and the other 24.
When to use the two variations of the supernova is based on the particular design.
Are there several other elements in the design that need to be balanced? Use the simpler 16-beam supernova.
Is the supernova at a large scale and a singular graphic element in the design with a lot of white space? Use the 24-beam supernova.
Never design more than one supernova into the same composition.
16 beams
24 beams
Scale
We've provided several variations of the supernova in both 16 and 24 beam constructions for your use. These can be scaled up and down as necessary for the brand asset you're designing.
The supernovas (and corresponding weight of the beams) should scale relatively, so as to always maintain the original proportions of the line weight to the "particle" size (the circle at the end of each beam).
**If your compositions involves outlined typography in the headline, it is best practice to have the weight of the supernova beam correspond to the line weight of the outline stroke.
Make sure to neither make the supernova very small and the details illegible, nor manually thicken the lines when scaling larger, rendering the supernova undesirably chunky.
Layout
The supernova should always be asymmetrically postioned in designs and should, ideally, always bleed off of one (at minimum, max two) edges.
The supernova should never be the smallest element in a composition.
Headlines and Annotations
Extending a single supernova beam can be used to call attention to typographic content or to lead the eye in connecting two thoughts.
The beams should never be extended in gross disproportion without connecting to another piece of content or thought.
Color and Photography
with the Supernova
The Supernova provides a lively playing field for incorporating color and photography.
Best practices for using the supernova with color and photography are covered in those corresponding sections.
Designers
The beauty of the supernova is that there are endless possibilities for new supernovas to convey just the write message and be tailored specifically to the composition. Make your own supernova with specified line weight, number of lines (remember: either 16 or 24), and color. Download the instruction file below as well as the pattern brush plug-in for Adobe Illustrator.
Color
The Lawrence color palette is about a combination of colors that work well together, rather than a single hue. The selection of colors creates a sense of inclusion, play and curiosity that represents the feeling of engaging with The Lawrence. The bright, intentional combinations work in context to create a range of moods—from serious to silly, academic to experimental.
All of this is balanced by a use of black and white that provides a clean foundation on which to build The Lawrence color system.
Color Palette for Print
Orlando
Ultraviolet
Black
Flare
Helios
White
Orbit
Bay
Fog
Color Palette for Web
Orlando Web
Ultraviolet Web
Fog Web
Flare Web
Helios Web
Asteroid Web
Orbit Web
Bay Web
Color Pairings and Use
The bright, intentional combinations that pair our more saturated hues (Orlando, Flare, Orbit) with our lighter hues (Bay, Helios, Ultraviolet) work to convey different moods and personality across applications.
For more reserved or academic uses, white or black can be paired with a color background, (or vice versa), rather than using a color combination.
Since legibility is key with typography and the more delicate line weight of the supernova, high-contrast color pairings are best. Never pair two darker hues or two lighter hues together when designing text on a colored background.
Saturated hues as base should be paired with typography or the supernova in lighter hues or white as a neutral.
Lighter hues as base should be paired with typography or the supernova in saturated hues and black as a neutral.
Supernova Color
When adding the supernova to a composition, it can be colored to match the typography or incorporate a third color to increase a sense of play, curiosity, and dynamism.
The color of the supernova should be selected based on the color pairing guidelines found above.
Typography
Sharp sans is the new typeface for all things The Lawrence Hall of Science. This open and geometric sans-serif typeface provides a welcoming, friendly personality. This appeals to the youth-focused audiences and offerings at The Lawrence, without losing sight of the more academic and rigorous content.
A nod to historical styles of scientific annotation, Pitch Regular is our secondary typeface. It is used to add texture to our layouts and annotate peripheral content, fun facts, or human stories.
Typefaces
We use Sharp Sans this typeface in Bold and Semibold weights for headlines and sub-heads.
Only the bold weight should be used to outline type.
Medium is our standard body copy weight.
Pitch is used for captions, annotations, and more peripheral information.
Emphasis
Our typographic system embraces the ability to use outline or filled in letterforms to help place emphasis on certain words or entire programs.
Our brand architecture shows the way in which we use the pairing to tie our programs, events, and products back to The Lawrence.
This same system can be used in headlines to create emphasis or wordplays.
Emphasis can be applied in copy by using an underline.
Bolding is always preferred to italicizing. Avoid using the italic font to create emphasis.
Captions, Annotations and Peripheral Information
Pitch should be used for all captions, annotations, and peripheral information.
A single beam of the supernova (isolated from the whole) can be used to create annotations or captions when desired.
These annotations should give through-sight to deeper human content, to connect the dots between two corresponding topics, or to convey fun, scientific facts.
Never offset and overlay an outlined version of the type with a filled in version.
Photography
The Lawrence is a vibrant, hands-on place, and photography is used to show what this offer looks like in action. Photography is used to depict moments of fascination, inspiration and wonder, with subjects engaged in different activities rather than posing for the camera. This, coupled with diversity of ages, backgrounds, and types of people shows the breadth of what The Lawrence has to offer.
Style and Composition
Whether choosing stock photography or art directing a photoshoot, it is key to know exactly what you're looking for stylistically.
01 To showcase The Lawrence and all it's varied programs, photography is best shot with plenty of light and vibrant contrast of color. When possible, focus on a single interaction or subject to increase visual interest and attention.
02 Images should always feature people engaged in fascination, inspiration, and wonder. Photography should never look staged, or feature human subjects that are directly staring into the camera.
03 Imagery that includes strong angles between entities in the photographic composition are preferable. This helps the eye move in a way consistent with the movement of the supernova.
04 Imagery should always try to convey our perspective on empowering diversity in science by showing multiple genders, races, backgrounds, and ages as appropriate.
05 While The Lawrence focuses on making science “hands-on,” we prefer to showcase the faces of human subjects rather than focus on their hands. That being said, it’s ok to use images that don’t focus on the faces of our audiences, but rather show the active process of science with a clear, central focal point when appropriate.
06 As far as possible, high-quality photography should always appear in full-color. This helps convey a sense of environment and humanity through our documentation.
Photo Manipulation:
Duotone
When photography is of lesser quality or a photograph is being used as a secondary element and is not meant to draw attention, duotoning images is best practice.
Use our brand color pairings to produce duotone images. Black also can be used as one of the colors.
Do not use monotoned images and do not multiply a brand color onto a full-color image.
Using the Grid
with Photography
Layout
The 45 degree grid used to create the supernova doubles as a graphic element that can pair with photography to increase the playfulness and friendliness of photo usage.
The grid should always be used over or in combination with a photo and never simply on it's own.
Never use the grid as an element offset over a photo.
Never overlay anything other than photography onto the grid.
Never mask the grid into another shape or typography.
Color
The grid can be used in any single color in the brand palette, as long as the grid remains legible at the scale at which its being used.
Never place the grid on a colored background, even if it corresponds to the color pairings in our palette.
Never create multi-color versions of the grid.
Screened Overlay
The grid can also be encorporated into duotone photography as a screened overlay.
Never multiply the colored grid onto an image (or use another opacity setting other than screen).
Never just layer the grid onto a photo without applying the screen effect.
In the Supernova
For the most playful use of photography, images (both full-color and duotone) can be masked into enlarged particles of the supernova .
Brand Tone
The Lawrence bridges the gap between rigor and fun—and proves that the two can coexist. While we are grounded in our heritage and the scientific process, we are a place to build, break, learn, laugh, and get messy. The tension between these attitudes is where our brand thrives.
Trustworthy
We're rooted in history and we bring best-in-class research to everything we touch.
Rigorous
Our content is the result of testing, iteration, and evolution. We are at heart an academic institution.
Visionary
The Lawrence has been a pioneer in science education for fifty years. We keep our eye on the future and evolve accordingly.
Lively
This is a place to touch, break, get messy, and engage in the process of curiosity.
Empowering
We believe that everyone is a scientist. Science is a way of looking at the world around us, and our goal is to make it accessible and inclusive.
Inquisitive
We don't have all the answers. In fact, it's our visitors, educators, and community that help us understand what the future will look like.
Language Guidelines
The brand tensions help us flex The Lawrence brand language to different audiences. Speaking to a student about camps? Use friendly, lively language. Trying to inspire donors? Lean into the visionary.
In addition to the overall tone, there are specific guidelines for specific usages, such as headlines, wayfinding, and annotation.
Headline Style
Headlines are an opportunity to insert brand personality, intrigue visitors, and communicate our values through language. Below are two headline styles.
01 Descriptive Word Play
Punchy, descriptive headlines retain a sense of liveliness through word play that references and riffs off of the content area, e.g.
Educator Professional Learning
Experience
is the best teacher.
Get hands-on with new learning techniques.
The Lawrence On-The-Go
Wander.
Wonder.
Repeat.
The Lawrence Discovery Camps
Where string theory meets slime.
02 Connect Past & Present
Headline and copy combinations that draw a meaningful connection between The Lawrence's historical heritage, and current efforts and initiatives that push science forward.
MUNI Shelter Ad
1971
The Lawrence opens the first public-access computer lab in the Bay Area.
2018
The Lawrence launches technology-focused summer camps that inspire your young inventor.
Come create what's next at The Lawrence.
Website Landing Page
Past.
Present.
Future scientists at play.
Annotation Style
Annotation is a way to connect the dots between programs, stories, and scientific outcomes. Annotations are short (1-sentence) call-outs that can do one of the following.
01 Draw attention to another offering that the audience might be interested in
e.g. in an Educator Learning Program brochure, an annotation might say:
Did you know that The Lawrence produces most of the nationally distributed science education materials, like FOSS and Amplify Science?
02 Tell a personal story in the form of a caption that describes the interests and experiences of that individual.
e.g. on a Discovery Camps landing page, an annotation on a photo of a child learning might say:
Michaela built her first robot at the Young Learner's workshop. It was a cat named Cindy with purple eyes.
03 Add a layer of fascination by adding a light-touch scientific fact related to the content or images.
e.g. in the building, an annotation might point to a fire extinguisher, adding fascination to the mundane:
Fun fact: Fires can't survive without oxygen. Extinguishers like this one actually smother fires, by using a foam-like substance that cuts off oxygen flow from a fire. Every question matters. Ask more.
Design Expressions
Our brand, in context
The following expressions represent key applications of the colors, typefaces and graphic elements that make up The Lawrence brand. Use them as examples of what "good" looks like.
The system is designed for flexibility: more restrained combinations can achieve a more serious institutional feel, while brighter combinations of color and graphic elements can be used to engage kids of all ages.
Branded Collateral
Fun, expressive use of brand elements and color can be integrated into brand products (like pins, pencil cases or tote bags). Additionally, this system appears on The Lawrence letterhead to create a unified brand across departments.
Science Center Assets
This identity extends to assets used within the science center (such as a visitor guide and spatial design) and different outreach programs that bring The Lawrence to schools and communities (such as the van). Full color palette and use of images within the supernova demonstrates the most playful version of the brand.
Institutional & Academic Expressions
This identity extends to assets used within the science center (such as a visitor guide) and different outreach programs that bring The Lawrence to schools and communities (such as the van). Full color palette and use of images within the supernova demonstrates the most playful version of the brand.
Awareness Building
Deeper storytelling that brings together past and present is used for awareness building—whether a MUNI ad or an instagram account. The playful color combinations, use of photography, and curiosity-inspiring content create cohesive and engaging designs.
Wayfinding
& Signage
Wayfinding is an opportunity to orient your audiences to the what The Lawrence does and where to find it. This is true of the physical as well as digital space.
Signage is an opportunity to bring elements of The Lawrence to the outside world, elicit interest, and guide visitors to your location.
Principles for Designing Wayfinding and Signage
DO
Simplify, simplify, simplify: use bold graphics and clear language to orient people to the (physical or digital) space.
Talk about what people will do, rather than relying on abstract names (e.g. Design Quest). Excite and inspire people within the space to discover the things they’re interested in.
Connect the dots by creating a clear system, structure and flow to exhibits and pointing to additional content (within the space, online, or in the store).
Add wayfinding at decision points so people have the answers at the right time.
Design for adults and kids: make sure there is something fun and interesting at eye level for children, whether this is at the front desk, and exhibit, or a doorway.
Differentiate zones clearly so visitors have a clear understanding of the flow of the space.
Love the space. Work with the building rather than fighting it.
Bring the inside out so visitors can see what what they will experience within before they are there.
DON'T
Don't structure wayfinding and exhibits based on internal divisions (that are not recognized by visitors).
Don't describe every last detail about what’s in a space. Keep it clear, accurate, and action-oriented.
Don't place screens or signage above eye level: make sure that signage is accessible!
Don't use color when it is not needed. Color should be used to help guide visitors through the space.
Outdoor Signage
Exterior signage coming up the hill include colorful banners that mark the approach to The Lawrence—and a row of bright banners let drivers know when they’ve arrived.
Banners also guide pedestrians from the parking lot to the building, and build awareness of The Lawrence with people who are just there for the view.
Playful questions and answers stencilled onto the sidewalk engage kids walking up to the building.
Physical Logotype
The institutional logotype is displayed on the building exterior to create a beautiful branded expression, night and day. Materials and lighting are used to maintain emphasis on "The Lawrence".
At this scale, the sign is visible from the road.
Spacial Expression
The Lawrence greets visitors with clear signage and a large supernova light installation that brings a key brand element to life and draws visitors eyes upward.
On the Main (Plaza) level, visitors are guided to the right, and dots on the floor identify key points and unify the scattered, changing exhibits in the Lobby.
A digital display to the right of the entrance gives visitors a preview of what they'll discover on their visit.
Wayfinding Expression
Large vinyl dots (an extension of the supernova) and simple numbering mark destinations on the Lower Level, making it simple for visitors to find what they are looking for, and identify where they are.
In the event that a Learning Lab is closed, a small interactive exhibit in the hallway provides a bit of context and indicates when the visitor can return for the full experience.
Benches allow kids to look inside the rooms.
Questions?
Get in touch.
We’re thrilled to have a new identity system for The Lawrence. Of course, our brand is only as good as our implementation—which is why we want to ensure everyone knows how to use these guidelines.
If you have a question about your specific brand application, please contact Tim Ereneta (tereneta@berkeley.edu) or Adam Frost (adamfrost@berkeley.edu).
Onward!