Manual
Eames Institute
Eames Institute
Eames Institute
When Ray and Charles Eames were asked: “What are the boundaries of design?” they responded by turning the question on its head: “What are the boundaries of problems?” Some fifty years later, as we face problems of increasingly varied types and scales, their words—and their radically inclusive vision of design—remain as powerful as ever.
Introducing The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, a new non-profit organization where the lessons of Ray and Charles are brought to life for a new generation willing to explore the “boundaries of problems.”
Containing thousands of artifacts, the Eames Collection is a one-of-a-kind record of the Eameses’ extraordinary partnership that encapsulates their unique methodologies and diverse interests. It offers countless examples of Ray and Charles's process, and illustrates the lessons we can take from their approach to design. The Eames Institute is responsible for stewarding this remarkable body of work, while also making it accessible to other institutions and the public at large.
The Eames Institute enlisted Manual to create a brand identity for the organization and help bring the lessons of Ray and Charles Eames to life.
Over the course of their decades-long partnership—in life and work—Ray and Charles Eames engaged in a tireless pursuit of problem-solving design that led to some of the most groundbreaking and iconic creations of the 20th century. From mass-produced ergonomic furniture that supported a wide range of people, activities, and environments, to films that succinctly and playfully conveyed complex concepts, to exhibitions that structured information like architecture, no subject matter or medium fell outside of their wide-angled vision for the role design could play in our world. With tireless curiosity, the trailblazing duo’s radically inclusive vision of design remains as powerful as ever.
The Eames Ranch. Petaluma, California
We began the project in 2019, with deep immersion and research at the Eames Ranch in Petaluma, California—delving into the Eames Collection and personal archive of Llisa Demetrios, the granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames, and chief curator at the Eames Institute.
We set out to approach the project with the same sense of curiosity and inclusivity that Ray and Charles demonstrated in their approach.
From a project kickoff picnic, to the multiple research trips to the Eames Ranch, to the private Instagram channel charting our progress at every stage—a multifaceted hands on approach provided us opportunities to engage in rich dialogue and iteration. Understanding the breadth of the collection encouraged our own curiosity around how we might bring the Eameses' timeless approach to design to a modern audience.
The resulting identity is centered around “the curious e”, a symbol that embodies infinite curiosity in its dynamic configurations. The monogram has the ability to shift its gaze in order to observe its context, emphasize content, and carry on the Eames’ legacy of spirited discovery.
Typography choices were inspired by clues we found while looking through the archive of Eames ephemera.
Topol Bold references News Gothic—a typeface that the Eames used in film titles, such as Powers of Ten. Its counterpart Century Schoolbook provides contrast and is used in ‘conversation’ with Topol, rooting the brand with a classic and timeless voice. Century Schoolbook Monospace references the archive labeling seen on the flat file drawers at the Eames Ranch and the Eameses’ very own business cards, while Graphik serves as a contemporary ‘workhorse’ sans serif.
A rich color palette is drawn directly from the many graphic materials designed by the Eameses, while a flexible visual system brings life to the dynamic qualities of the organization and its editorial programming. The visual systems we developed have the flexibility to work across more functional settings—such as the digital experience—through to more experiential and tactile contexts, providing a sense of discovery, wonder, materiality, and play.
The website, created by Instrument with curation and editorial content by the Eames Institute, invites visitors to discover how design has the power to change the world, through multiple entry points and ‘exhibits’.
Stories of Ray and Charles, told firsthand by Llisa, allow visitors to understand who they were and what formed their worldview. The ever-growing Eames Collection archive contains thousands of artifacts, prototypes, furniture, art and ephemera that users can discover and learn about in detail. The Eames Ranch not only introduces the property as a family residence that houses the Collection and a space that fosters conversations and hands-on tools for problem-solving, but also demonstrates how regenerative agriculture and habit restoration is an act of design. And Kazam! Magazine is a place for stories about people, projects, and ideas that are shaping a better tomorrow.
To compliment the launch of the institute’s digital experience, we designed and produced a celebratory ‘launch kit’—designed for, and gifted to, Eames Institute partners, friends, donors and media.
The kit invites users to discover the Eames Institute of infinite Curiosity through a series of prompts, communications, tactile experiences, and gifts, including limited edition commissioned artwork prints, Eames Ranch wooden blocks, a custom prism viewer, and a packet of Forget-me-not seeds—the flowers that Ray Eames used in the end scene of their Glimpses of the USA film in 1959.
We’re incredibly honored to have collaborated with this inspiring organization and we hope the lessons of Ray and Charles will inspire future generations of curious problem solvers.