In 2014, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology created a task force to articulate a bold new vision for the MIT Libraries. The goal was to create a report with recommendations of how to evolve to best advance the creation, dissemination, and preservation of knowledge. The report was released in October 2016, and it includes a set of 10 recommendations that outline a comprehensive vision for the MIT Libraries in the coming decades. At this time, MIT began working with the design consultancy Pentagram to create a bold new look for this bold new vision.
We worked as technical partners with Pentagram on the project to create a custom design tool that can be used to generate endless variations of the new MIT Libraries logo.
Created by Michael Beirut and Aron Fay, the new visual identity consists of an ever-changing angular shape that reflects the vision of a library where creation and access to knowledge is fluid, interactive, participatory, and programmable. We worked as technical partners with Pentagram on the project to create a custom design tool that can be used to generate endless variations of the logo. Rather than delivering a static set of logo files, this generator software can be used to generate new logos whether for event posters, signage, or social media.
The logo software is written in the Processing programming language, which was developed at the MIT Media Lab by alumni Ben Fry and Casey Reas. A toolbar in the interface allows the user to change the wordmark, color, stroke settings, and background of the logo, and export the logo as either a static image or animated video sequence. It is licensed under the MIT open source license.