NYU MLK Week 2025
Brand Design
NYU MLK Week 2025
Brand Design
NYU MLK Week Brand Design
— ROLE
Lead Designer
— TYPE
Branding, Visual Design, Production Strategy
As a Digital Designer and Content Strategist at NYU OGI, I led the creation of a cohesive brand identity for NYU’s MLK Week 2025, ensuring compelling visual storytelling across digital, print, and merchandise while maintaining consistency and impact.
The challenge was to design an identity that communicated the theme "Living the Legacy"—balancing a sense of regality and commemoration with a modern, forward-looking approach. The visual system needed to feel timeless yet contemporary, resonating across digital, print, and merchandise while maintaining consistency and impact. Below are some early concept explorations that helped shape the final visual identity.
To bring “Living the Legacy” to life, I balanced tradition and progress through color and typography. A mix of regal tones like beige and futuristic accents like neon green created a striking contrast, symbolizing both commemoration and forward-thinking. I paired serif and sans-serif typefaces to reinforce this duality—grounding the design in historical significance while keeping it fresh and contemporary. Early sketches and style explorations helped refine these elements, ensuring a cohesive and impactful visual identity.
The finalized identity was applied consistently across digital, print, and merchandise, ensuring a seamless brand experience. From social media graphics and event signage to tote bags and pins, every element reinforced the theme “Living the Legacy” with a balance of regality and modernity. Careful attention was given to typography, color, and layout to maintain visual impact across all mediums.
The swag items played a key role in representing the event's identity, bringing the visual design to life in a tangible way. I coordinated with multiple vendors, each with unique timelines and requirements, ensuring that every item, from tote bags to pins, aligned with the overall brand vision. By initiating conversations early and providing clear mockups and specifications, I was able to manage production smoothly, ensuring on-time delivery and high-quality results. Here are some early mockups shared with the vendors:
The final deliverables included event graphics, with a focus on stage projections and event signage. These visuals brought the branding to life in the physical space, reinforcing the “Living the Legacy” theme and enhancing the atmosphere for attendees.
The design was very well received, with colleagues sharing positive feedback directly and others reaching out to my team to express their appreciation. Swag items were in high demand—especially the tote bags, with people coming to the office for extras—and the innovative pin design was particularly well-loved. Designing for a university-wide initiative over five months was an invaluable experience, strengthening my design skills while deepening my understanding of visual communication strategy, managing complex production timelines, and collaborating across multiple teams to bring the event to life.
