We+USC EXL LAB
A brand, a website and program assets for an experiential learning lab at USC.
The situation
EXL LAB explores how and why we learn through experiential, maker-based learning. It runs programs and events that bring faculty, industry leaders and students together, including project-based learning for middle and high school students across greater Los Angeles.
Its identity lacked cohesion across digital and print. The lab needed a brand as forward-thinking as its programs, one that carried USC's academic weight and still spoke to students, researchers and partners alike.
A fire circle for a lab about learning by doing
Working with the lab's director and academic curator, we refined the logo, introduced a vibrant but academic color palette, and built a graphic system around the lab's core themes: energy, growth and collaboration.
A concentric "fire circle" motif became the anchor of the brand, a symbol of innovation and interconnection that runs through every application.
A website, and a kit for every program on campus
We designed and structured the new EXL LAB website to carry the brand while making programs, research and events easier to find.
Then we kept going: banners, signage, blog covers and program materials that the team used on campus for its experimental events and programs.
The result
EXL LAB now shows up as one cohesive, professional brand, from the website to a sidewalk sign outside an event.
The system gives the team a clear kit to launch each new program without starting from scratch, and positions the lab as a leader in experiential learning research.