Open Houses and Design Critiques

Photo: IDEO explains design decisions in their New York offices
May 07, 2018
Tim Senft

"You should be proud of where you came from, but it shouldn't limit where you go." An ILR alumni said that, and it's been a touchstone for the IDEO team tasked with designing a brand that will bring ILR into the 21st century.

It certainly inspired the two directions they created over the past several weeks: one centered around the idea of intersection and the creative collisions that happen on campus, in the classroom, and at the institutes; and the other focused on the idea of the future, possibility, and ILR's position in the larger world.

This past week at Open Houses and meetings simultaneously presented to our Ithaca and NYC campuses, we got to have our say. In at least two ways, we took an "and, not versus" stance. First, we enjoyed an incredible degree of consensus. Go, ILRies! Second, we chose both directions! Specifically, our community favored warmth and diverse perspectives (intersection) combined with a clean, confident look (future). The task now is to develop a new, fused direction that will become the robust, flexible, and durable brand system—one that won't limit where we can go.

The IDEO team capped their week with a design critique, attended by design legend Leif Huff. A lively session ensued, and it gave the team an extra boost as they race toward the finish line.