Print magazine has selected the graphic design of the Harvard Innovation Lab as a winner in the 2012 Regional Design Annual, which has just been published. The design was the work of Shepley graphic designers Dan Vlahos and Erin Deeley.

The ‘Hi’ design establishes a distinctive identity and conveys a sense of welcome for the i-lab on Harvard’s Allston, Massachusetts, campus. In telling the story of the impact of the design, Shepley Bulfinch senior creative Dan Vlahos said, “Months after the building opened I got an email ...[more]

It’s dedication day for Harvard’s innovation lab in Boston, but the buzz has been building all fall.

Shepley worked with Harvard to fast-track the creation of Batten Hall and the i-lab, transforming the old studios of WGBH into a high-energy space for campus and community. Say goodbye to the studios where Julia Child and Zoom! were filmed and hello to workshops and wide-open (and wired) spaces.

Or should we say ‘Hi,’ in the spirit of the i-lab’s signature logo, which Shepley created as part of the innovation lab’s brand?

Even before today’s events, i-lab director Gordon ...[more]

The Harvard Innovation Lab passed a major milestone last week when the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) approved plans to transform the former WGBH building in the Allston section of Boston into an environment that advances collaboration and entrepreneurship.

“The Innovation Lab is an entirely new model for Harvard,” said Gabe Handel, Managing Director of the Dean’s office at Harvard Business School, in a release issued on Friday. “It is an innovation in and of itself.”

Physically located on the Harvard Business School campus, the Harvard Innovation Lab will encourage entrepreneurship and innovation University-wide.

Cherry Murray, Dean of Harvard’s School of Engineering, said, “I see the Harvard Innovation Lab as having the potential to ...[more]

Design is now underway for the Harvard Innovation Lab (Harvard I-Lab), a campus-wide innovation incubator located on the Harvard Business School campus in Boston.

In announcing the project, Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust said, “The importance of innovation cannot be overstated. It is also of utmost importance and great interest to our students and faculty, many of whom are inventors and entrepreneurs. The lab will foster team-based activities and deepen interactions among both aspiring and experienced innovators across the schools of Harvard.”�

Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria said, “Our goal is to drive innovation by connecting entrepreneurial teams, not only across the Charles River, but ...[more]

Shortly after the buzz around the first anniversary of the opening of the Harvard Innovation Lab, Interior Design magazine announced more good news: a 2012 Best of Year (BOY) Merit Award for the Innovation Lab’s design in the Education category.

Since it opened in late 2011, the i-lab has quickly become a hub for entrepreneurs from across the campus. Ambitions for it are unbounded, as noted in an editorial in the Boston Globe in November 2012, “Success of Harvard’s i-lab could buoy the entire region.”

The Innovation Lab is the second ...[more]

I recently picked up on something while reading Steven Levy’s interview with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in Wired magazine. In response to a question about how to make Blue Origin (his space travel venture) succeed, Bezos said simply: “Maintain a firm grasp of the obvious at all times.”

Capturing the essence of a brand, a story, or an organization is the ultimate communications design challenge.  It’s the proverbial truffle of successful identities: uncovering it usually takes some digging, but the rewards are worth it.

Giving the Harvard i-lab a graphic identity ...[more]