The Symbol for the Next Generation of

Inventors, Entrepreneurs and Collaborators

at James Madison University.

4 5

What should a logo for JMU X-Labs look like?

Well, there is a lot to be inspried by.

6 7

There is...

the people,

Nick Swayne

Kim Reedy

Tom Wilcox

Kai Brokamp

Michele Estes

Gabriel Niculescu

Chris Ashley

Kyle Hall

Andrew Carlone

Emily Platt

Kevin Giovanetti

Jack O’Neil

Dustin Skelton

Krystian Jones

Audrey Barnes

Costel Constantin

and the many others that have been involved

the equipment,

the actions,

Educate

Prototype

Innovate

Launch

and the future.

8 9

Being aware of people’s viewpoints, the spaces, and desired purpose for JMU X-Labs helps direct the ideas and creates further interest in those who are a stakeholder. The varying perspectives spurs varying concepts that will eventually lead to one logo that can represent all that has been said about these educational spaces and programs.

Thus, ideas are drawn out and then tested in Adobe Illustrator.

JMU LABS

Labs

LabsJMU

LabsJMU

JMU LABS Labs

10 11

Typefaces, symbols, and graphic arrangements are explored and pushed in order to see what can satisfy the needs and ideas of the entity that is being created. JMU X-Labs, in this case, is that entity. It will continue to grow and change but the symbols must be able to withstand this growth and change. One thing is for certain however; the most important aspect of JMU X-Labs is connecting people to people and people to resources.

The challenge was to create a jewel that can be used independently from the entire name. Turning the X into the symbol that represents this idea of connection was the obvious choice. The X inherently speaks cross collaboration but this abstracted idea was pushed by injecting four mini-mal figures facing each other from a birds-eye view. These minimal stick figures were influenced by the 1972 Summer Olympics design work of Otl Aicher.

12 13

Set between texts of a stencil typeface, the X becomes part of the final logo that will embrace the idea of the X-Lab locations being a place to build something. The stencil typeface suggests the act of construction. Ideally, a brand is supposed to represent what the target audience can expect from this organization. This logo is successful because after visual interpretation you understand that at JMU X-Lab locations you collabo-rate with people to build upon an idea.

14 15

This logo will attract the viewer’s attention because it is bold and com-plex but also legible. It has a symbol and a typeface that can be laser cut and can easily vary in color and size to be applied to t-shirts, doorways, posters, etc.

Here is the logo in vector format ready to be laser cut.

Here is the logo laser cut.

16 17

Here is the logo with Pop-Up Classes section titles in different color combinations.

Pop-Up Classes

Fabrication + SafetyFabrication + Safety

Pop-Up Classes

Design Thinking + Creative HabitsDesign Thinking + Creative Habits

Business Plan Creation

Pop-Up Classes

Business Plan Creation

Pop-Up Classes

Designing TechnologiesDesigning Technologies

18

Timothy MooreHarrisonburg, VirginiaSummer 2015