Corporate Identity • Logo design
Logo Redesign
Logo Redesign
Logo Redesign
ROLE
Sole Project
Sole Project
Year
2024
2024
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Illustrator
Overview
A logo redesign for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), developed during an UX/UI redesign case study at Columbia University bootcamp. This side project challenges the traditional, dated aesthetics of government branding by introducing a modern, responsive visual system engineered for digital platforms.
A logo redesign for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), developed during an UX/UI redesign case study at Columbia University bootcamp. This side project challenges the traditional, dated aesthetics of government branding by introducing a modern, responsive visual system engineered for digital platforms.
THe problem
• Overly Complex Details: The current official DOE logo has too many intricate symbols—including an eagle, sun, lightning bolt, chemical symbols, and wires—creating visual clutter and a dated appearance.
• Scalability Issues: Due to this high density of detail, the logo fails to scale effectively. When shrunk down for digital interfaces like mobile app icons, favicons, or website GNBs, the elements collapse into unrecognizable noise, severely damaging brand recognition.
• Outdated Digital Presence: The overall aesthetic feels disconnected from a modern user experience, failing to represent a federal department at the forefront of future-forward energy technology.
• Overly Complex Details: The current official DOE logo has too many intricate symbols—including an eagle, sun, lightning bolt, chemical symbols, and wires—creating visual clutter and a dated appearance.
• Scalability Issues: Due to this high density of detail, the logo fails to scale effectively. When shrunk down for digital interfaces like mobile app icons, favicons, or website GNBs, the elements collapse into unrecognizable noise, severely damaging brand recognition.
• Outdated Digital Presence: The overall aesthetic feels disconnected from a modern user experience, failing to represent a federal department at the forefront of future-forward energy technology.
Current DOE logo
Solution: A new DOE logo
01. Concept
01. Concept
Modern, Intuitive, Scalable. The redesign focuses on radical simplification while preserving core heritage.
Modern, Intuitive, Scalable. The redesign focuses on radical simplification while preserving core heritage.
02. Visual Synthesis
02. Visual Synthesis
The new symbol seamlessly fuses the department's two core visual pillars—the American bald eagle and energy (the lightning bolt). By shaping the eagle’s silhouette with sharp, dynamic lines, the emblem achieves immediate double recognition as both a national identity and a strong force of energy.
The new symbol seamlessly fuses the department’s two core visual pillars—the American bald eagle and energy (the lightning bolt). By shaping the eagle’s silhouette with sharp, dynamic lines, the emblem achieves immediate double recognition as both a national identity and a strong force of energy.
03. Typography
03. Typography
To complement the modernized symbol, the serif typeface was replaced with a clean, high-legibility sans-serif. This typographic shift eliminates the decorative, outdated elements of the previous lettering, ensuring optical balance, sharp contrast, and flawless rendering even at microscopic scales on small screens.
To complement the modernized symbol, the serif typeface was replaced with a clean, high-legibility sans-serif. This typographic shift eliminates the decorative, outdated elements of the previous lettering, ensuring optical balance, sharp contrast, and flawless rendering even at microscopic scales on small screens.
Adaptability
The redesigned logo ensures flawless scalability across varying screen sizes. Optimized for modern display environments, the logo smoothly transitions from an expansive horizontal layout on desktop viewports to a compact, high-contrast variant for mobile interfaces and favicon.
The redesigned logo ensures flawless scalability across varying screen sizes. Optimized for modern display environments, the logo smoothly transitions from an expansive horizontal layout on desktop viewports to a compact, high-contrast variant for mobile interfaces and favicon.