Lam Research— Years of Service Awards

Patterns, Meet Form

This award was created for Lam Research, a company specializing in silicon wafers, which are widely used in modern electronic devices. Ranked 240th on the Forbes Fortune 500, Lam had high expectations for the design. I saw a unique opportunity to incorporate the silicon wafer concept creatively.

The final piece featured a zinc alloy base, painted and screen-printed with a semiconductor pattern on two sides to add dimensionality and flair. To accommodate Lam's schedule, I also modeled and recessed personalized into the base for a sleek finish and to allow for main production of the pieces before Lam could provide all necessary personalization. The top displayed a nickel-plated disc, UV printed with a silicon wafer pattern and a raised texture to add extra depth.

Rules of Three

In the early stages of the project, the client initially requested a smaller design that wouldn't take up much desk or shelf space. I presented several concepts based on this idea before we ultimately decided to scale up the design. This shift ensured that the final product felt substantial and worthy of display, rather than something that might eventually end up in the corner of the consumer's garage. The upsell was an added bonus, of course.

Initially, I planned to use a bronze, silver, and gold hierarchy to represent service years. However, after discussing how to make the design feel more meaningful, the client and I collaborated to incorporate their brand colors— Mint, Slate, and Midnight— into the hierarchy. This decision was driven by a desire to create a stronger emotional connection with the recipients, based on their familiarity with those colors.

When it came to materials, logistics played a heavy role. The client wanted the design to maintain a metallic look, and anodized CNC-machined aluminum seemed like a good option. However, they requested a color match more specific than our manufacturing partner's anodizing process could consistently offer for custom color batches. I supported the change to painted zinc alloy to provide better color consistency uniformly across batches.

Exploded View.
Die-Casted Form Out of the Mold.
Manufacturing of Bases.
Manufacturing of Nameplates.
Dielines Snapshot.
Factory Box Dielines View.
Client Box Dielines View.
Wafer Artwork Pattern.
Side Artwork Pattern.

We All Love Unboxing

Lam Research referenced Apple's packaging and unboxing experience when envisioning the packaging for their awards. They had pre-produced customized ID badges and retractable lanyards for each recipient, which they wanted to include in the box. Initially, the plan was to use a simple branded velvet bag, but I saw an opportunity to elevate the experience.

I then designed a white screen-printed folding box with a magnetic closure and die-cut foam inserts to securely hold each item— the ID badge + lanyard and the award itself. This ensured that when recipients unboxed the package, they were met with a thoughtful and cohesive presentation, where every element reflected the same level of care and design.

The Final Product

Through much ideation and prototyping, the final product was constructed from a zinc alloy made from a die cast mold, painted with a matte, fingerprint-proof paint, baked on for additional adhesion. The front and sides were screen printed with a semi-gloss white ink, offering high-contrast both with color and specularity from the body. An aluminum nameplate, painted with he same paint as the body was stamped and placed within the recess to give a flush finish.

The disc atop the design was similarly made from zinc-alloy and chrome plated to offer a trim of sharp reflections while a textured UV printed disc from a Mimaki UJF series was placed on top.

The box was a white, magnetically closing, cubic box with die-cut foam in the interior, housing the ID badge, lanyard, and award itself.