Center for Language Sciences
The Center for Language Sciences (CLS) is an interdisciplinary center supporting research and training in spoken and signed languages across departments at the University of Rochester. Tasked with forging a distinctive personality for CLS, I crafted a unified brand identity, spanning a logo suite, custom typeface, social media visuals, and posters, that feel modern, professional, and unmistakably separate from the broader university.
The starting point
At the outset of this project, CLS lacked a clear visual voice and had an audience largely siloed in linguistics. The center needed to signal its renewed leadership and its ambition to serve an interdisciplinary language sciences community. My challenge was to create a visual identity that both broke free from linguistic clichés and resonated across diverse fields of language sciences, while honoring the center’s heritage on campus.
Goals of the center
The primary objective was to create a versatile brand that works across digital channels and future merchandise, including consistent templates for lecture series and posters. Equally important was launching a unified visual presence on Instagram and LinkedIn to engage the CLS community and external partners, all while asserting a personality that stands out in the field of natural language.
My role and process
As the sole designer, I moved from broad ideation—exploring sound waves, globe-shaped letterforms, prism motifs, and MIT-inspired glyphs—to focused refinement, ultimately centering on the Rush Rhees Library silhouette as a symbol of scholarship and local identity. I developed that concept into a clean, adaptable logo, designed a custom typeface to match CLS’s voice, and produced all collateral and guidelines to ensure consistent application across every touchpoint.
The rebrand has given CLS a confident, recognizable look that underpins its revival under new leadership. Armed with versatile digital assets and clear guidelines, CLS is now positioned to deepen interdisciplinary collaborations and extend its brand into conferences, publications, and future merchandise.