CREATE 2024 —
Illuminating New Perspectives
Every year, Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s Graphic & Interactive Design (GAID) department organizes an eagerly anticipated event known as CREATE — an annual portfolio review. This event serves as a pivotal platform for graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students to showcase their work and gain invaluable feedback from industry professionals.
A dedicated team of designers collaborates each year to craft a distinctive brand identity for CREATE, one that not only captures the essence of the event but also resonates with the graduating class. For CREATE24, the chosen tagline, “Illuminating New Perspectives,” encapsulates the evolving landscape of design, particularly with the burgeoning influence of artificial intelligence (AI) on the industry. This theme underscores the exploration of innovative approaches and fresh viewpoints embraced by today’s designers in response to technological advancements. Our task was to develop a brand identity that not only embodies this tagline visually but also reflects it through our creative process.
Before diving into the design process, our first step was to establish roles and organize our team. Each of us underwent individual interviews conducted by our professor, Abby Guido. These interviews involved an assessment of our past design work, job experiences, and skill sets to align each team member with the most suitable role based on their strengths and expertise.
Our roles were assigned as follows:
Xiamari Osorio — Lead Strategist: Focusing on event brand strategy and deliverables, leading research efforts, setting the brand tone, and overseeing online presence and user experience research. Collaborating closely with the team.
Dani Goldman — Project Manager: Ensuring timely and budget-friendly project completion. Coordinating schedules, tracking designer time, and balancing workloads. Collaborating with Design and Production Managers on scheduling and budgeting.
Brianna Friend — Production Manager: Ensuring accurate production of event deliverables, managing budgets, organizing mailing lists, and maintaining file organization. Managing photoshoots and gathering the necessary information for production.
Laney Plimpton — Design Manager: Overseeing event design, structuring brainstorming sessions, managing design presentations, and ensuring thorough concept exploration. Collaborating with team leads on workload division and creative brief development.
Emily McSorley — Client Manager: Managing client communication, gathering and disseminating feedback, and ensuring client satisfaction. Assisting with copywriting and collaborating on creative briefs. Coordinating with other Client Managers to create a comprehensive documentation site.
Tyler Fauvelle — Technologist: Researching emerging AI tools, providing demonstrations and support, and collaborating with the technologist on the other team.
After delineating our roles and responsibilities, the next step was to ensure organizational efficiency. We accomplished this by implementing Microsoft Teams for communication and rapid progress sharing, utilizing Miro for collaborative brainstorming sessions, and establishing a comprehensive file organization system led by our Production Manager, Brianna Friend. Our Client Manager, Emily McSorley, oversaw the creation of a SharePoint page. This page served as both a repository for our file organization as well as a documentation hub for future CREATE teams to consult. Moreover, our Project Manager, Dani Goldman, devised a comprehensive schedule outlining the entire process, utilizing a Gantt chart. Additionally, she created a time-tracking system for the team to effectively monitor their progress. Furthermore, our Design Manager, Laney Plimpton, planned out weekly presentations to showcase and discuss our design iterations with our client/ professor, Abby Guido. Lastly we decided to set up weekly check-ins outside of class to make sure we were on the same page throughout the entire process.
After setting up organization, it was finally time to jump into the design phase. We started by brainstorming potential taglines to anchor our visual identity. Among our favorites were “Illuminating New Perspectives” and “Sending Off.” Each team member then produced rough sketches and a few refined logos based on these directions.
Upon reviewing our initial designs, we collectively determined that “Illuminating New Perspectives” offered a stronger foundation for exploration. As previously mentioned, our aim extended beyond visual representation; we sought to integrate AI into our creative process. Utilizing chatGPT, we generated a list of visual concepts aligned with our taglines. Notably, two ideas from chatGPT resonated with our drafted logos:
- Abstract Tech Fusion:
- Incorporating abstract shapes reminiscent of circuitry, gears, or neural network nodes to symbolize the fusion of technology and creativity.
- Utilizing vibrant colors to convey innovation and energy.
2. Abstract Letters Integration:
- Exploring the integration of letters C, R, E, A, T, and E in an abstract and interconnected manner to craft a distinctive logo.
- Experimenting with negative space and creative typography.
We then divided into two teams to pursue each sub-direction. After further logo research and mood board creation, we developed logos for our respective subcategories. Upon evaluating all designs, we concluded that the Combined Typefaces mark best encapsulated our vision of “Illuminating New Perspectives.” Each distinct letterform represented diverse perspectives, mirroring the multifaceted nature of design and our student body. Additionally, this mark embodied our commitment to embracing AI’s potential, rather than shying away from it.
Once we finalized our logo concept, our focus shifted to establishing a style tile. This process was initiated by our lead strategist, Xiamari Osorio. At the start, we drew inspiration from our favorite logomarks and experimented with colors. Through this process, we discovered our affinity for gradients and aimed to integrate them into the branding for CREATE24. Keeping AI prominent in our process, the CREATE team technologist, Tyler Fauvelle, utilized Adobe Express to explore background ideas. For our color palette, we aimed for simplicity with a surprising twist that could also lend itself well to gradient applications. Our main colors ended up being a light blue, magenta, and a bold yellow green color. We also utilize black, and a pale pink in our color system. From our main color palette, we created four gradients: one incorporating all four colors and three others utilizing pairs of colors. These three gradients serve as the background for the headshots, and alternate on social media and the CREATE website in a diagonal pattern.
Building on the prominence of large letterforms in our logo, we utilized them to spell out important words to grab viewers attention throughout our social media posts, emails, and website. Additionally, we employed in-color, semi-transparent letters to convey secondary information such as “TYLER” and “CREATE” to live in the background of posts and on the website. Individual letters were also highlighted in color on headshots, each representing the first letter of the respective student’s name. Expanding upon the headshot process and reiterating our commitment to using AI, we made sure to utilize Adobe Express to expedite production. As for typography, we selected Covik Sans Mono Black for our headers to maintain focus on our typographic logo. For subheaders, we opted for Anisette STD Regular, adding character without overshadowing the logo. And for consistency we chose Covik Sans Mono Regular. To further echo the diversity of letterfaces in the logo, we introduced a system of varied iconography, with design tools serving as a nod to design itself.
One of the most critical deliverables for CREATE was the website, serving as the central hub for essential information about the event. It provided details about the event itself, offered a platform for reviewers to sign up, and featured individual pages for every student. These student pages provided a bio for each student, showcased their work, and linked to their portfolio websites. Additionally, the website featured a dedicated page highlighting Connect, Tyler GAID’s networking platform, and provided a form to RSVP for it.
In the months leading up to the event, we actively engaged with students, alumni, and potential reviewers through email and Instagram. Our email outreach involved crafting templates that reflected our brand using Mailchimp.
On social media, we adhered to the CREATE24 brand guidelines, posting a diverse range of content. This included announcements for CREATE24, a save-the-date post, carousal posts of headshots along with each students’ work, a website launch announcement, calls for reviewer sign-ups, and event reminders. We also utilized Instagram stories to solicit advice from alumni and shared grid posts highlighting their insights. Additionally, we posted animated Reels showcasing different categories of student design work, such as packaging and UX/UI design. And of course, to truly embrace the integration of AI, we animated these reels in Adobe Express.
While CREATE24 posts were being shared and emails were sent out to Tyler GAID’s network of alumni and friends, a significant amount of administrative work was being handled behind the scenes to ensure the smooth execution of the actual event. This included conducting a photo shoot for student head shots, organizing student work and information received via forms sent out to gather all necessary details for the student work section of the website, as well as pairing students with reviewers for the event. This pivotal task was managed by our Project Manager, Dani Goldman. By analyzing the data collected from reviewers via Microsoft, she strategically matched reviewers with students based on the specific types of designers each reviewer indicated they were seeking. After matching every student to a reviewer, we were left with only a few final tasks to complete. This included designing Zoom backgrounds for students and reviewers to use, drafting clear instructions for students to set up their Zoom rooms, and creating a commemorative CREATE24 poster to mark the event.
In conclusion, CREATE24 proved to be a resounding success, marking an evening of insightful portfolio reviews. Through the power of effective branding, we not only garnered attention for our students work, but also successfully filled the desired number of reviewer slots. This achievement was made possible by thorough organization, consistent team and client communication, and the strategic integration of AI to aid in brainstorming and the production processes. CREATE24 not only showcased the talent and creativity of our graduating students but also explored the possibilities of AI within design, thereby illuminating a new perspective on the intersection of technology and creativity.
Institution: Tyler School of Art & Architecture
Designers: Brianna Friend, Dani Goldman, Emily McSorley,
Laney Plimpton, Tyler Fauvelle, and Xiamari Osorio
Instructor: Abby Guido, Tyler School of Art and Architecture,
Temple University
