A Vision for Innovation
Creating a brand for an educational initiative is rarely straightforward, and the development of LIFT (Leaders Innovating For Tomorrow) for Mattoon CUSD #3, Mattoon, IL, was no different. The school district aimed to create a cutting-edge Regional Innovation Center that would empower students and the community with advanced technological and vocational education.
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Initially referred to as the "Regional Innovation Center" or sometimes "Lumpkin Regional Innovation Center," it became clear that this initiative needed its own distinct identity. |
What started as a vision to expand the Mattoon school district's local technology program transformed into a Regional Innovation Center with a bold, meaningful identity.
Exploring Concepts
As part of the Branded Environments project process, multiple concepts were brainstormed (page 1) and narrowed down to three strong contenders (page 2). The district requested additional variations (page 3), but despite refining these ideas, the options still didn’t fully capture the team's vision.
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A Moment of Reflection
As we honed in on a potential logo, the feedback from the school district was honest and reflective. They noted that although they had a few favorite designs, none of them felt quite right. At this point, it became clear that we needed to take a step back and re-evaluate. I spoke with the client, including my primary point of contact along with district leaders. We decided to start fresh by revisiting the core goals, values, and programs that LIFT would represent.
A Fresh Perspective
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With a clearer vision, I developed several new concepts (page 5) and this time, one design stood out. The client gravitated toward Concept #1 but requested an all-caps variation from a previous design they had liked. The final refinements (page 6) led to the winning design.
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Back to the Beginning
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Ironically, after all the exploration, the final logo (page 7) closely resembled the original concept I had presented at the start. It was a full-circle moment that validated our initial instincts.
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Trusting the Process
The journey of developing LIFT’s brand was filled with collaboration, iteration and trust. While the process took several turns, the end result is a logo and identity that truly captures the essence of Leaders Innovating For Tomorrow.
I worked closely with the school district and main contacts throughout the process. Their feedback and commitment to getting it "just right" were instrumental in bringing the LIFT brand to life
The Result: Elevating a New School's Presence
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This regional innovation and technology center is a central hub for students in grades 9-12. The facility has been designed to support programs for Communications, Childcare, Information Technology, HVAC/Green Energy, Manufacturing, Architecture & Construction, Leadership, and Culinary Arts & Hospitality. Today, the building and site provide the opportunity to serve future generations, creating an elevated educational experience available to 28 surrounding school districts.
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LIFT now stands as a symbol of innovation and growth within the Mattoon community. It's is more than just a name and logo—it's a reflection of opportunity and progress for students and the region. Seeing this project come to life has been incredibly rewarding, and I’m excited to witness its lasting impact.
read part I: Rebranding Your School: A Fresh Start for Tomorrow
read part II: Creating A New Brand: Express Your New School's Presence
Senior Environmental Graphic Designer
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Part of the BLDD team since 2015, Chris is our resident environmental graphics expert. He specializes in developing creative and effective visual solutions that enhance the built environment and convey meaningful stories to building occupants and visitors.
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