DESIGN

Harvard Graduate School of Design

Client

Harvard University, Graduate School of Design

Scope of Work

Research
Strategy
Logo and wordmark
Stationery
Recruitment Materials
Calendars
Magazines
Invitations
Banners
Catalogues
Publications

The Graduate School of Design at Harvard is one of the world’s great architecture and design schools. We worked closely with them to create a differentiated brand that addressed both the traditional and innovative aspects of the school.

Engagement & Insights

We worked closely with leadership, management, faculty, staff and outside consultants in a highly collaborative and iterative process to build a design strategy and brand architecture that could be applied across a wide variety of channels and media. We researched the competitive landscape and did an audit of current materials. We discovered that it was important to leverage the name of Harvard in colloquial use to identify the school in a larger global context. There was also much discussion around the school’s position – noted for the best of both traditional design and contemporary thinking.

The school had important brand architecture considerations with 3 departments: Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design and Planning and important stakeholders and prestigious faculty. Significant time and effort was put into colour studies to create a palette to complement the well-known and traditional Harvard crimson.

Our Role & Responsibility

Along with a new logo and wordmark, we developed a strategy and larger vision for the new positioning. This included a complex kit of recruitment materials, admissions forms, cards and envelopes. We designed a multi-tiered stationery system accommodating three departments and numerous endowed chairs. We created a style guide for the ongoing implementation of the identity. We also redesigned the “GSD News” (a newsletter-format journal) as “Harvard Design Magazine”. Formerly available only to the design school community, it was made available by subscription and on newsstands.

RGA Branding & Visual Identity

Branding & Product Design

KerrSmith Design
550 Queen St. East, Unit 335
Toronto, ON M5A 1V2
416-703-5377