The Design Center

The CalArts Design Center is a student-led creative hub dedicated to peer-to-peer design tutoring and interdisciplinary collaboration. As a founding member of the branding team, I established the center’s visual identity system to reflect its core mission: supporting and connecting the diverse artistic practices within the CalArts community.

Design Concept
The visual identity is anchored in a dynamic system of geometric primitives and organic forms, representing the distinct yet malleable nature of individual disciplines. Employing a vibrant, saturated palette, the system utilizes translucency and blending modes to create a visual metaphor for collaboration. When these distinct shapes intersect, they generate new hues and forms through simulated subtractive color mixing, symbolizing the synthesis of ideas and the creative synergy that occurs when students connect.

Application
This cohesive visual syntax adapts seamlessly across digital and physical environments. For the physical space, I designed environmental window graphics using translucent colored vinyls. These installations interact with natural light to cast shifting colored shadows into the studio, effectively extending the brand experience into the spatial dimension. The system also expands into motion graphics and social media content, where the kinetic interplay of shapes reinforces the energetic and accessible spirit of the center.