Archived refinement evidence — R1 selected, R2 and R3 rejected

Wordmark (shared across all three candidates)

Small-size ladder

Enlarged small-size inspection (16 px construction, scaled 8×)

Rationale

Treats the Brand Beam as an optical instrument: a closed aperture with the beam passing through it. The most literal reading of the approved concept.

Differences from the original Brand Beam concept

• · Ring is now a mathematically perfect circle at a constant 6/100 stroke, where the P1B concept varied stroke by size.
• · Beams are optically centred rather than centred on the bounding box.
• · The dominant beam now breaks the ring by 8 units to express travel.
• · Beam length ratios fixed at 0.62 / 1.00 / 0.48.

Construction changes

• · Ring stroke 6/100 units, unchanged across variants for a consistent optical weight.
• · Beams re-spaced on a 12-unit rhythm; centre beam breaks the ring by 8 units to signal travel.
• · Beam ends fully rounded (radius = half beam height).
• · Beam lengths follow 0.62 / 1.0 / 0.48 — a clear dominant signal.

Strengths

• · Closest to the direction the owner approved — lowest interpretation risk.
• · Reads as a lens/aperture, which supports the 'signal' story.
• · Works well in the horizontal lockup: the circle balances the wordmark's cap height.

Risks

• · A thin circular ring is the least distinctive silhouette at 16–24 px.
• · Ring stroke is close to hairline in embroidery below 25 mm.
• · Three beams inside a circle can look busy on photographic backgrounds.

Recommended responsive behaviour

• · ≥ 96 px: full — three beams, ring, optional glow level 1.
• · 32–95 px: simplified — two beams, no glow.
• · 16–31 px: micro — one beam, thicker 8-unit ring, pixel-aligned, no rounding below 20 px.
• · < 16 px: text label only.

Trade-off

Most faithful to the approved concept; the circle is the least distinctive part at favicon size.

Wordmark (shared across all three candidates)

Small-size ladder

Enlarged small-size inspection (16 px construction, scaled 8×)

Rationale

Treats the Brand Beam as a product object: a filled squircle carrier with the beams knocked out, so the mark and the app icon are literally the same geometry.

Differences from the original Brand Beam concept

• · Container changes from a circle to a superellipse with a 28/100 corner radius.
• · Beams are knock-outs in a filled carrier instead of positive shapes inside an outline.
• · Full-colour version carries a magenta→cyan gradient across the carrier rather than in the beams.
• · Beam ratios 0.55 / 1.00 / 0.42, flush left.

Construction changes

• · Squircle carrier (28/100 corner radius) instead of a ring outline.
• · Beams knock out of the carrier rather than sitting inside it — one-colour and embroidery safe by construction.
• · Higher fill area means better recognition at 16–24 px.
• · Beam lengths 0.55 / 1.0 / 0.42, flush left, breaking the right edge.

Strengths

• · Highest recognition at 16–24 px because the silhouette is solid, not linear.
• · One-colour and embroidery safe by construction — no hairlines anywhere.
• · App icon, favicon and avatar need no separate construction.

Risks

• · Reads more as a software product icon than as a brand symbol.
• · Knock-out beams require a known background colour; on photography it needs a plate.
• · Large solid neon fill can dominate a page and fight the dark-first palette.

Recommended responsive behaviour

• · ≥ 96 px: full — three knock-out beams, 28-unit radius.
• · 32–95 px: simplified — two knock-out beams, slightly heavier beams.
• · 16–31 px: micro — one beam, 22-unit radius.
• · Print/embroidery: single-colour carrier, beams knocked to the substrate.

Trade-off

Reads strongest at small sizes and on merchandise; less 'optical instrument', more 'product icon'.

Wordmark (shared across all three candidates)

Small-size ladder

Enlarged small-size inspection (16 px construction, scaled 8×)

Rationale

Treats the Brand Beam as motion: the container is opened into two arc fragments so the beam visibly travels through, unobstructed.

Differences from the original Brand Beam concept

• · The closed container is abandoned; only two 96° arcs remain, top-left and bottom-right.
• · Beam extends beyond the implied circle on both sides.
• · Third beam is dropped entirely at every size.
• · Micro variant becomes the beam alone inside a Carbon square.

Construction changes

• · Ring reduced to two 96° arcs, top-left and bottom-right.
• · Single dominant beam plus one supporting beam; no third beam at any size.
• · Maximum negative space, strongest at large display sizes.
• · Micro variant becomes the beam alone inside a Carbon square.

Strengths

• · Most distinctive and most energetic at hero and display sizes.
• · Maximum negative space — excellent on dark cinematic backgrounds.
• · Strong asymmetry makes it memorable next to competitors' closed roundels.

Risks

• · Rounded arc caps degrade quickly below 24 px and in embroidery.
• · The micro variant loses the arcs entirely, so brand recognition at 16 px depends on colour alone.
• · Open form is harder to place in tight navigation and avatar circles.

Recommended responsive behaviour

• · ≥ 96 px: full — two arcs, dominant beam plus one supporting beam.
• · 32–95 px: simplified — two arcs, single beam, heavier stroke.
• · 24–31 px: arcs dropped; beam inside a Carbon square.
• · < 24 px: not recommended — use the wordmark or a text label.

Trade-off

Most distinctive at hero scale; the arcs are fragile below 24 px and in embroidery.