Swiss University EPFL is one of the best engineering schools of the world, with Alumni that are pretty much on the top of the industry. The A3 EPFL Alumni Association is what brings all of them together (around 18.000 graduates) and for such important group of people they commissioned a corporate identity that was up to the occasion. Geneva based agency Enigma was the chosen one to take upon the challenge. Following the recent trends, the direction the agency took for this project revolves around the generative identity, the creation of a unique logo based on an algorithm.
Dots were arranged into squares and defined curves that represented paths. This was a metaphor for the EPFL students that move around campus; in turn, these various curves create a unique shape. This design can be expressed in an infinite variety of shapes and colors. Thanks to a mathematical software and to random parameters, 100,000 different logos were generated in one day.
Like in other examples of generative identity, the produced logos vary in form and colors based on a specific color palette. The applications of the logo also rely on its ever-changing quality, pairing it up with portraits of the students as a way to refer to the uniqueness of each and one of them. The esthetic of the brand couldn't be a clearer example of Helvetian design: the bold strokes and overall minimalistic design really measure up to the sober style that's so characteristic of the Swiss look.
