BRAND IDENTITY

School of IxD

For nearly two decades, I served as the Associate Director of the School of Interaction & UI/UX Design (IxD) at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. It often surprises people when I reveal thow significant my own design work was in my responsibilities.
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Unusually large scope

As a director, my duties extended beyond teaching. I was responsible for branding the department, curating the environmental art and signage, and (most importantly) shaping the visual design and typography curriculum for the undergraduate and graduate programs across all media.

These responsibilities required a substantial amount of active design time, positioning me uniquely to contribute to the department’s development from various perspectives. The requirements for the brand were clearly defined: focus on Human-Computer Interaction, UX Design, Visual Design, and Technology. Utilize structures that convey modernity, cleanliness, and innovation. Establish a distinct identity that sets us apart from the 24-odd schools comprising the expansive AAU.

Branding a school

The new brand’s design had to reflect its core principles. The concept was to emphasize “interaction,” and the explorations eventually led to a product that suggested a fusion of two distinct elements into a third through interaction. The structure was reminiscent of NASA’s iconic “worm logo,” a retro-styled representation of futurism. The typography was entirely custom-designed by me for the department.

The design process, as indicated by the second-round options on the left, involved narrowing down prospective logos until we arrived at the final mark and color scheme.

Since our sister school, the School of Advertising, utilized the first half of the rainbow in its branding (red, red-orange, and yellow-orange), I opted for the latter half for ours (green, indigo, magenta).

The type is custom: a modular face that I designed specifically for the department, the text version of which became my font Gorgonzola Gothic.

Designing a learning space

One of my favorite parts of the job was creating an environment that put the focus squarely on the students and their work. This was way more than decoration—it was about creating an energetic, motivated learning space for the students. It focused on four crucial aspects:

  • Getting students the information they needed on a daily basis, from maps of the floor to curriculum infographics to (eventually) Covid protocols.
  • Inspiring students to look to the past as well as the future, and to think of design in a more human-centered way. Many students enter the program thinking of Interaction Design as a moneymaking venture. I wanted to establish a departmental ethos of service and even humanitarianism.
  • Showcasing student work, both to inspire future students and to encourage enrollment. Coordinating gallery design with onsite campus tours gave tour guides a way of defining the focus of the department (which many found difficult to differentiate from, say, Graphic Design) through the work.
  • Bringing in the industry to portfolio review events every semester, so that students constantly received professional feedback about their work.

I created all graphic materials, collateral, and imagery for the School of IxD, from signage to social media graphics to the visuals and awards we gave out every year at our annual Spring Show.

Most importantly, there was coursebuilding. This involved not only shaping the arc of the visual design curriculum, but actually building the majority of the visual design courses, from introductory-level through to senior-level classes, for the BFA, MA, and MFA programs alike, onsite and online. I built the Visual Design & Typography courses from the ground up: all the text, all the graphics, all the videos.

Coursebuilding was profoundly fulfilling. When you build a course in visual design, you have to show all the elements and principles you're trying to convey in the course design itself: when you're asking a student to learn good design, you have to put your money where your mouth is.

It was a place of constant creation. Constantly honoring the design past. Constantly pushing toward the design future. Constantly striving to be better, to reach higher than you thought you could. Constantly remembering that design is about more than making money, and that beauty, humanity, and grace are also ROI.

And all of it for the love of watching the students grow.

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DC has always given thoughtful dedication and passion to everything he has ever designed, inevitably carrying through to his teaching style and methodology.

— Gregory Mar
     Global Digital Experiences, Apple

DC is a prolific craftsman of type and graphic design with a bold, clever, detailed sensibility that unites his extensive body of work. As a professor, DC comes alive in the classroom. He was born to teach. He cares. He makes students care. I can offer no higher endorsement.

— Paul Plale
     Museum of the African Diaspora

No teacher has ever had such an impact. He never questioned but constantly challenged my work, ensuring it would reach its full potential. Thanks to him, I have a portfolio of work I’m still incredibly proud of, and that reflects who I am. I’m so thankful for the impact he had on me; it’s something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

— Sophie Thunved
     Einride Stockholm

DC’s classes helped shepherd me into the life I have today. It’s safe to say I wouldn’t have the career I have had I not been supported by him.

— Bruce Sullivan
     Wonderful Tools

DC was the heart of my entire college experience. Hands down, his classes had the greatest impact on my portfolio, which led to my recruitment, and so on. His passion, humor, diplomacy, knowledge, kindness, and honesty has been one of the rarest combinations of qualities I’ve ever seen in an educator. 

— Emilee Serafine
     Meta/Instagram

Every time I left DC’s class I was inspired to create, but also, more importantly, to think critically about how I can have a positive impact on this world. That is something I am forever thankful for, as it’s changed who I am as a person.

— Rachelyn Babin
     StitchFix

DC was one of the few teachers who encouraged me to let my personality shine through my work. He supported and encouraged each of us in our own unique way — each connection different, but all genuine and real. His classes were the spark for me. They showed me the rich history of design and how you can use that knowledge to make powerful and informed design decisions.

— Kathryn Davis
     Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society

The classes I took with DC in visual design have left the biggest impact on me. His ability to see each student and help them grow individually is unique. I feel so lucky to have had him as a teacher and influence in my life.

— Louise Stenholm
     Sköna

DC’s guidance has shaped my perspective of design in ways I never thought possible. From appreciating the history of type to finding answers to my problems, it seemed like he always knew what to do. Thanks, DC, for lighting the path for generations of creatives.

— Raeven Fernandez
     Vinaj Ventures

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KEY TAKEAWAY:
IMPACT ISN'T ALWAYS ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE
My tenure at IxD was one of the most fruitful and fulfilling times in my professional life. I had the privilege of guiding thousands of students through the program, watching and shaping the development of their eye, skills, ethical compass, and portfolios, ultimately seeing them through to fantastic careers.It was always about them in the way that any design endeavor must be. I’m very proud of that.
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