— PROJECT NAME
CMEP 35th Brand Design
— ROLE
Concept, Graphic Design, Product Design
— TOOLS
Adobe Creative Suite
In my capacity as the Graduate Assistant for Design and Communications at NYU Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, I played a crucial role in shaping the distinctive brand identity commemorating CMEP's 35th anniversary. From conceptualization to execution, I crafted a dynamic brand that integrates across diverse mediums, including digital promotions, events, merchandise, prints, and other touchpoints. This brand not only celebrates the rich history of CMEP but also symbolizes co-envisioning the future of CMEP and serves as a cohesive visual narrative across multiple platforms.
Swag/Physical Products
I designed an array of custom merchandise for distribution at CMEP 35th events, featuring enamel pins, bookmarks, etched glass mugs paired with custom packaging, and postcards.
Print and Merchandise
I designed an array of custom merchandise for distribution at CMEP 35th events, featuring enamel pins, bookmarks, etched glass mugs paired with custom packaging, and postcards.
Social Media/Digital Promotion
The branding was also used across various digital platforms, including social media channels and promotions on NYU CMEP’s online platforms.
Social Media and Digital Promotion
The branding was also used across various digital platforms, including social media channels and promotions on NYU CMEP’s online platforms.
Project Overview:
Objective:
Design a digital brand identity for the Center’s 35th Anniversary with two main goals:
Celebrate the Center’s History: Highlight the Center’s rich history and its impactful contributions over the past 35 years.
Engage the Community: Energize and involve current community members, including alumni, to co-imagine and co-build the future of CMEP.
Creative Direction:
Design Guidelines:
Color Flexibility: Use a versatile color palette, avoiding neon tones.
Audience Focus: The design should resonate with current members of the NYU community.
Tone and Style:
Celebratory and Inviting: Reflect a sense of celebration that is warm and welcoming.
Grounded and Community-Oriented: Convey a strong sense of community and connection to the Center’s roots.
Multi-Colored, Yet Subtle: Incorporate a range of colors without being overly noisy or juvenile.
Warm, Not Nostalgic: Aim for a friendly and approachable feel, steering clear of overly nostalgic elements.
Elegant but Approachable: Maintain an elegant aesthetic that is not too formal or corporate.
Unconventional and Distinctive: Ensure the design is unique and clearly represents CMEP.
Key Considerations:
The design should clearly reflect CMEP’s identity and values, balancing a sense of tradition with forward-thinking energy.
I initiated the logo design process by sketching preliminary drafts and utilizing the Gotham font—a crucial element of the established NYU CMEP brand identity. The overarching idea was to create a distinctive mark characterized by rounded edges and grouping, symbolizing the inclusive, welcoming, and communal essence of CMEP.
The use of warm, vibrant colors blending into each other, reminiscent of a celebratory gathering, helped create the multifaceted and inviting feel of the brand. After translating this colorful effect into a vector illustration, the focus shifted to selecting the final logo that would embody the brand’s spirit. Taking into account the team’s valuable feedback, I combined elements from two existing options to create the definitive logo for CMEP's 35th anniversary.
Logo
The CMEP 35 logo can be used in three different ways depending on the size and contrast requirements. All logos are always to be used against the solid dark blue or dark blue-to-teal gradient background, and should always be accompanied by the NYU Torch logo. The logo with CMEP’s full name can be used where there is more space/need for a bigger logo, and the smaller logo options can be placed in a corner when there’s less space for a logo.
Colors
The main CMEP 35 colors are the off-white for text and contrasting elements against the blue-to-teal background. The multicolored gradient uses a combination of five colors: orange-red, mustard yellow, warm pink, light blue, and bright green.
Typography
The CMEP 35 YEARS text is always set in Gotham Ultra.
Gotham should be used for all other text as well, ensuring CMEP 35 holds a connection with NYU branding in some way.
