<aside> <img src="/icons/verified_gray.svg" alt="/icons/verified_gray.svg" width="40px" /> Brand design, typography, stop motion animation, motion graphics, photoshop
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Each year, the graduating class of UC design programs presents their senior capstone projects to peers, professionals, and the public in the DAAPworks showcase. Communication design students develop the brand identity for the show, creating web designs, social media announcements, merchandise, and print materials.
Working in small groups, we each submitted a unique brand proposal to the class and faculty. As our DAAPworks was the first to take place after the 2020 lockdown, we faced the challenge of adapting to an online format. Our proposal embraced this transition, highlighting the sudden digital transformation.
https://vimeo.com/1074036436/19571ae215?share=copy
Our brand identity, UNMUTED, was inspired by our asynchronous online environment at the time. Although it was chaotic and uncomfortable, there were exciting new opportunities involved with the shift. As our day-to-day lives began to blend with work and school, we saw a need to inject more human interactions into digital platforms.
We proposed the use of grainy photography, stop-motion animation and hand-drawn graphics to contrast the computerized graphic elements in our branding.
Instagram post example for DAAPworks marketing
Instagram post example for student spotlights
The message of UNMUTED is about uplifting the voices and needs of end-users by way of research, design, creative expression and exploration. DAAP students are expected to carefully research their capstone topics and present their findings as part of the showcase. Some students championed mental health, public resources and historical movements. Others uplifted people and groups directly with promotional and informational projects.
To showcase the depth of this research, we proposed creating a podcast series where students could discuss the context of their work and their findings in detail. This format would be especially accessible in the remote environment and introduce another humanistic element to our showcase through one-on-one conversation.
Spotify UNMUTED podcast page mockup