Overview + IDEA

Lam Research has a unique and special culture. Comprised of a team of loyal employees, the program team sought to honor individuals that have put their all into perfecting the company. It is not often that we hear of businesses that contain employees who have been with a company for over 20+ years, let alone 30 or 40. Because of this, Lam Research set out to recognize their team in an unparalleled way. 

When discussing initial concept designs, Lam Research valued the importance of creating a piece that truly acknowledged and appreciated hard work. It is because of the daily commitment these employees display that has allowed Lam Research to scale to where it is today. 

A recognition program must convey that level of understanding. Their internal recognition program must match that level of quality and excellence, while expressing Lam’s gratitude. 

The design concept was born from the idea of capturing their company brand by creating an award with a replica of a silicone wafer. With a perpetual award in mind, these pieces would combine company branded colors, fonts, logo, and product all wrapped up into one piece. 

CHALLENGES

Since this piece is custom made to match Lam Research branding, our design team was quickly met with some challenges aligning every aspect of their brand. From colors to product replicas, we got to work finding the correct level of solutions to suit all parties.

When we drafted initial designs, the main element of the silicone wafer proved to be the hardest to replicate. While not wanting to jeopardize the design vision, we had to produce a concept that used the wafer as a prominent element of the design. We had to capture the unique pattern of their patented wafer chip while upholding our quality standards.

In order to replicate the wafer chip, we played with the patterns of semiconductor boards. We chrome plated a disc so it had a metallic undertone. To give it a texture that mimics the wafer chip, we performed multiple rounds of digital printed which depicted a raised feel to the touch – our way of reverse engineering to get the closest replica of a wafer cone.

Since we could not directly personalize these pieces on a digital printer, we settled on a small, routered divot in the base of the piece that would allow for a name plate to be slotted in. This way, the personalization details felt flush in the piece as one symbiotic unit.

The last and final challenge when manufacturing this award lay within the color world. Each milestone of years of service would be met with a distinct color from their branding guidelines.

Because Lam’s branded colors were unique, we spent a lot of time in R&D painting, baking, and PMS matching. Eventually, we found a method that captured their brand standards.

The Creation

The result: A custom award that an employee could truly admire. Using electroplating, we fashioned this award to resemble metal. We then painted and baked the aluminum. This layered manufacturing gave it an effect to the touch – giving the design details some texture.

We lacquered each piece with the proper color to give it a shiny, metallic finish even though the paints were matte. This level of expertise provided an upscale feel that would stand the test of time. 

To make the experience complete, each year service award was delivered in custom packaging. Depending on the milestone of service, each gift box had a different foil stamped lid that coincided with the award. To secure the awards in transit, we made a die cut foam that held each piece. The Lam Research Team chose personalized employee badges to be included in the kitting.

From award design to custom packaging, no detail was missed in the curation of this recognition program.