Identity systems are formed through a
process of discovery; they are immanent
constructions within organizations.

In the process of corporate identity design, the first order of business is to go on a discovery. The creative team will visit the clients’ headquarters and production facilities to conduct interviews, scout photo and video locations and immerse themselves in the ethical-aesthetic feel of the workplace. Discoveries are never original; rather they are assemblages of previously uncombined elements; yet the resulting variations of organizational identity are vast and limitless.

Discoveries are singularities.

Discoveries can be visualized as pockets of eternity or singularities. The word singularity comes from mathematics, where it represents a functional aggregate of a finite equation; yet when taken by itself; the singularity is infinite and thus nonfunctional. Furthermore, singularities can be fractal in their underlying structure, exhibiting complex self-similarity through their robust theme and variation.

Discoveries can take many forms, in this section of the GPS website we have collected together some of our discoveries to peruse. Discoveries serve a linguistic purpose, they are a language construction no matter what form they take; they may be an image in a photo or video, facial expressions or gestures of movement, color palettes, materials in clothing or architecture, categories of thought, lineages and traditions, terminologies, names, etc. In a nutshell, they are subjective, ethical/aesthetic choices that become intrapersonal or global through their affects.

Soundbytes: From Remark to Trademark

The classic example of a discovery is a good soundbyte. Soundbytes are usually bad, they are usually cliché turns of speech said with too much emotion, but sometimes, a good soundbyte comes along that serves as a meme of sorts. Once I was interviewing a research scientist at a fortune 500 company and he said: “We do R&D around the clock, around the world”, which is a nice statement in itself, but the manner and expression that the scientist uttered it was truly motivational. The para signaling of the scientist’s facial expression and gesture combined with his language to form the soundbyte. The creative team’s graphic designers then translated this singularity of emotive tone though typography and design. Banners were made and displayed in all international facilities. The individuals of the organization acquired the soundbyte, used it in conversation and what began as a personal remark; became a trademarked, global slogan of organizational identity.

Discovery is the first process of identity formation. Discoveries are inherent singularities existing within organizations that serve as the building blocks of personal/organizational identity systems.