Overview
My peers and I were challenged to undertake a redesign of the visual identity for the Northern Illinois University Visual Communication program, the same program we were currently involved in. This project focused on developing a cohesive and innovative branding system that includes a wordmark, a type and color system, and secondary marks to represent the department effectively.
The main goal was to create a visual identity that reflects the dynamic and evolving nature of the department while maintaining a sense of interconnectedness and structure. The design needed to be adaptable, scalable, and capable of communicating the department’s focus on growth and continual evolution in the field of visual communication.
Design Attributes: Interconnected, Structural
Associations: Growth, Evolving
The redesigned visual identity aims to reinforce the department's commitment to excellence in visual communication education, while also appealing to prospective students and academic professionals. Through this project, the brand's core values of growth and adaptation are visually communicated, enhancing its presence both academically and in related industries.
In response to the project brief, I designed a wordmark that ingeniously integrates the letters 'N', 'I', and 'U' into an interconnected structure, emphasizing unity and cohesion. The design cleverly manipulates the letterforms to create a visually interconnected emblem that symbolizes the interconnected nature of the department's disciplines.
Instead of relying on the traditional red and black color scheme associated with NIU, I opted for a distinct palette that allows the identity to stand independently while complementing the existing university branding. This approach not only meets the brief’s requirement for a standalone visual identity but also enhances its applicability in diverse contexts.
To showcase the new identity, I designed a series of mockups for the department's Instagram page. These mockups showcased how the new branding could be seamlessly integrated into social media platforms, maintaining its distinctiveness and adaptability.
Impressively, the visual identity I developed was hand-picked by the faculty to become the official identity for the department. It is currently in use on the department’s Instagram page, where it continues to enhance the digital presence and brand recognition of the department, effectively engaging students, faculty, and the broader academic community.
https://www.instagram.com/niuviscom/?hl=en
