Process

1. The Client
I created branding for VIC, an organization created by game development clubs across 6 different universities in Virginia.
2. The Problem
VIC was a completely new organization with no identity. Initially, there was not going to be any branding whatsoever, but I was brought into the project to pitch ideas. We also had an incredibly short turnaround time (about 2-3 weeks) to create everything.

The questions I was asking myself while designing were:
What should the event feel like?
What do I like about video games and game jams that I can bring into my work?
What are my demographics, and how does that impact what needs to be communicated?
3. The Process
What’s Important
My work had three main concepts that needed to be communicated:
The event is a game jam
The event takes place in Virginia
The event is for college students


What I love about game jams
I began to think about what I love about jams, and what specifically was so exciting about this opportunity.
You get to collaborate with people to create something awesome
You can experience and connect with game developers at other universities
This event brings an appreciation of creativity to schools where that may not be as valued. In general, I felt really seen and accepted by my peers in game development, and wanted to bring that joy.

If I had to sum up what I was aiming for, I wanted VIC to feel like a utopia that values creativity and friendship. It takes inspiration from video games of the late 2000’s, where connecting to the internet was a new and exciting thing. I wanted to bring that same optimism to students who had a network through this event.
Adjectives
Professional
Optimistic
Friendly
Technological

Based on all of this, I began by trying to find a logo and word mark that made sense.

We narrowed it down to these two, and landed on the following selection
(show final piece, and explain reasoning behind type/colors)

4. My Solutions
The most important part of Iris is the student-submitted work, so incorporating student artwork as a motif through the magazine creates a more personal touch and keeps the focus on the artwork. The vectorization creates a more graphical and abstract approach

To make sure that my team didn’t struggle, I provided an InDesign template with the fonts and swatches already added, as well as a few images they could use as background texture.


5. The Results
(show mockups)

6. What I learned