Corde – University of Cambridge.

CORDE, a £75m National Facility for Physics operated by the University of Cambridge’s world-leading Physics department, the Cavendish Laboratory, needed to attract researchers from any university or industry. The challenge was creating a brand that positioned its facilities and resources as accessible beyond just academic circles, while also strengthening the link to the University.

The brand and facility are true to the pioneering spirit of the Cavendish Laboratory – the place of pioneering physics. Working in collaboration with the department and the University’s central brand team, we developed the brand strategy, identity and name.

Its name, CORDE, the Collaborative R&D Environment, is an ‘acronym-like’ word, rather than a true acronym. This style is more natural and accessible, enabling us to create a unique, memorable, single-syllable name that audiences will find easy to read, understand and remember – enhancing their engagement with the brand. It becomes a built-in descriptor to help establish the brand more quickly.

The visual identity closely links to the University brand, with key differences designed to appeal directly to target audiences. The concept is based around Lissajous curves, a physics pattern used to determine the unknown frequency by comparing it to the known frequency. Nodding towards the concept, an animated logo lends itself to the curve. While a gradient colour palette that uses the colours from the University’s secondary colour palette reflects the newness of the facility. Iconography derives from the curves to show the facilities, services and offerings.