Located in The 78, Chicago’s newly developed innovation neighborhood, Discovery Partners Institute (DPI) is an academic and research institution unlike any other. Led by the University of Illinois System, DPI matches over 2,000 students in development-applied R&D labs with hundreds of the world's top researchers and funding partners, aiming to solve complex, societal challenges.

Span designed the identity system to define DPI as a place for futuristic innovation. The identity framework highlights a unique partnership structure, allowing DPI, their partners, and their labs to unite and build off each other's brand equity.

Custom letterforms were drawn for DPI's logo to provide a sense of equality across the characters. Equally weighted to the letterforms, the unifying möbius strip expresses movement and openness. In instances where an R&D lab that is within DPI needs their own logo, parentheticals are employed.