THE MAKING OF THE SIGCHI IDENTITY DESIG N SUZANNE WATZMA N As of this writing (December 1992) , SIGCHI is in the midst of developin g an organizational identity program. As chair of the committee responsible for this identity program, I'd like to tell you about our plans and what we' ve done so far. WHAT DOES IDENTITY MEAN ? Historically, the process of creating a logo (or logotype) to represent a company began in the thirties . Over the years identity programs using familia r logos such as those at IBM, Apple, UPS, and others have been created . But it is important to keep in mind that an organizational or corporate identity is not just a logo . An identity symbolizes everything tha t comes to mind when you think of IBM, Apple, Harvard, or the organization that you work for. All of thes e impressions of stability, quality, freshness, perfection, dynamism, consistency, etc . that you have of an organization make up its identity. Th e identity represents every aspect of wha t the organization does and how it presents itself to the world at every level . This identity is represented by a logo , or "mark, " a tangible representation o f all of the "hard" and " soft " characteristics and perceptions of an organization . The mark is the visual representation of the past, present, an d future of the organization . Like a good icon, the mark should trigger th e intended meanings . It can be the orga- nizing element around which all othe r aspects of the identity program work (in conference materials, letterhead , electronic documents, public relation s materials, etc.) . For example, the IB M or Apple mark is only one small element of the identity program, which includes brochures, packaging, corporate culture, and business style . Together, all of these elements make u p the " identity" of the organization . THE IDENTITY DEVELOPMEN T PROCESS The development and initial applications of the SIGCHI identity mark is an important beginning. As with any identity program, it is important that our mark : ¢ be timeless (within reason) . The mar k will be around for a long time an d its consistent and repetitive use wil l help to create and reinforc e SIGCHI ' s identity. There are hard costs involved in changing a mark, s o we want to design our mark carefully. ¢ work well in many environments . The mark should be easily applied i n print, electronic media, etc. ¢ accurately represent and communicate key qualities of SIGCHI now and in the future . This is particularly important to consider as we discuss possibilities for future directions of the organization . THE STATUS OF THE SIGCH I IDENTITY PROGRA M I am currently working on development of an identifying mark for SIG CHI . I have had many conversations about the identity of SIGCHI wit h members and non-members, old an d new members, people from various disciplines and roles in the HCI an d SIGCHI communities, and with organization and conference directors . Sketches have been done and many concepts have been discussed includin g ideas about the future goals and direction of SIGCHI as a whole. We are now moving from Phase One, Information Gathering, to Phase Two , Design and Testing . A committee from the Executive Committee, with myself as chair, is reviewing materials of thos e individuals and groups interested i n working with me on the project o f developing an identity mark for SIG CHI . I welcome any comments and input , both on this particular article and o n the Identity Project in general . I will b e providing updates on the progress o f this project to the Executive Committee during their monthly telephone conferences . Suzanne Watzman, Advisor to the SIGCHI Executive Committee on Identit y c/o Watzman Information Design, 192 Central Street, Somerville, MA 02145 USA +1-617-776-0099 ; E-mail : watzman .chi@xerox.com SIGCHI Bulletin April 1993 Volume 25, Number 2

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