Center for Language Sciences
SERVICES
Brand Strategy, Visual Identity
In November 2025, the University of Rochester rebranded and they moved from a house of brands to a branded house. All schools and centers are no longer permitted to use individual branding. :(
Despite the strength of its research community, CLS lacked a cohesive visual identity and public-facing presence. The project began as a request to design posters for a new lecture series, but I uncovered a broader brand problem: CLS was siloed within linguistics. The challenge was to give CLS a distinct voice within the university while respecting
institutional constraints and reposition it as an interdisciplinary center for the language sciences. The goal was not to create a flashy rebrand, but to build a thoughtful, flexible identity that could unify a diverse academic community and signal renewed leadership, relevance, and interdisciplinarity.
Brand Strategy
The brand strategy balanced institutional credibility with distinction. The director wanted an identity that felt academic and professional, but not visually absorbed by the university brand. At the same time, the system needed to avoid overt language or linguistic symbolism so it could represent researchers across disciplines. Voice and tone were defined as formal and academic,
but never cold. The identity needed to feel human and conversational, supporting connection and dialogue rather than authority alone. These principles guided decisions around typography, hierarchy, and layout, ensuring the brand could communicate rigor while remaining accessible and contemporary.
The visual direction drew inspiration from the modern, modular identity systems used by institutions like MIT, particularly the Media Lab. That influence informed a custom typographic approach built from angular, structured forms that feel contemporary while remaining appropriate for an academic context. The icon is a simplified silhouette of Rush Rhees Library, one of the University of Rochester’s most recognizable landmarks.
The letterforms C, L, and S are integrated directly into the columns of the building, grounding the identity in place while keeping the mark abstract and flexible. Together, the typography and icon create a system that is distinctive, institutional, and adaptable across digital and print applications.
Supporting research and training in the language sciences.
Center for Language Sciences
