AIGA DESIGN EDUCATORS CONFERENCE BRANDING
FEBRUARY 2026-PRESENT
SYNOPSIS
"A throughline refers to the connections through and between segments of a design learning journey from early exposure to design, becoming a design student, working with and supporting students, transitioning to professional practice, mentoring designers, opportunities in leadership and creating intentional throughlines for others coming into the field. Across the lifespan of a designer, there are many aspects of influence through culture, beliefs and values that are integral in one’s development as a designer and lifelong learner." —AIGAeducators
THE PROBLEM
The AIGA Design Educator's Conference for 2026 had its theme and concept set, but no clear brand identity. Like their 2025 conference, a student team was curated to take on the task of branding and creating assets for the conference theme. For the first time, the AIGA Design Educator's Conference will be hosted at a community college.
MY ROLE
On the student team, my role was to facilitate the group as an art director. I distributed tasks among the team, scheduled weekly meetings, organized our created assets, and created my own assets as well.
Final name badge designs
THE BEGINNING
The first steps taken by the branding team was to meet with chair members of the AIGA DEC. The team brought many variations of logos for critique and to gain a better understanding of what the chair members were looking for.
HURDLES & SOLUTIONS
Once the brand system expanded beyond the logo into patterns, social posts, and headers, keeping everything visually consistent became a coordination challenge. When multiple team members are producing assets simultaneously, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent feeling. A living brand stylesheet shared with the whole team (and actually enforced) solved most of this, while also providing feedback throughout the creation process.
THE PROCESS
The project began with a discovery phase: meeting with the chair members of AIGA DEC to understand the conference's goals, audience, and tone. Those conversations shaped the design direction before a single line was drawn. From there, the team moved into the identity phase. We generated a wide range of logo sketches and initial drafts, then narrowed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders. Multiple rounds of revision brought the mark to a polished, approved final logo that could anchor the entire visual identity.
With the core identity established, the team developed the broader brand system: a set of repeatable visual patterns, a brand stylesheet documenting colors, typography, and a library of digital assets to make future design work faster and more consistent. These tools enabled the team to produce a range of deliverables (such as social media posts and website headers) that maintained cohesion across contexts.
The project is currently in its final phase: translating the identity into physical signage for the conference itself, bringing the brand from screen to space.
ASSETS IN ACTION
AIGA DESIGN EDUCATORS CONFERENCE BRANDING
FEBRUARY 2026-PRESENT
SYNOPSIS
"A throughline refers to the connections through and between segments of a design learning journey from early exposure to design, becoming a design student, working with and supporting students, transitioning to professional practice, mentoring designers, opportunities in leadership and creating intentional throughlines for others coming into the field. Across the lifespan of a designer, there are many aspects of influence through culture, beliefs and values that are integral in one’s development as a designer and lifelong learner." —AIGAeducators
THE PROBLEM
The AIGA Design Educator's Conference for 2026 had its theme and concept set, but no clear brand identity. Like their 2025 conference, a student team was curated to take on the task of branding and creating assets for the conference theme. For the first time, the AIGA Design Educator's Conference will be hosted at a community college.
MY ROLE
On the student team, my role was to facilitate the group as an art director. I distributed tasks among the team, scheduled weekly meetings, organized our created assets, and created my own assets as well.
Final name badge designs
Final name badge designs
THE BEGINNING
The first steps taken by the branding team was to meet with chair members of the AIGA DEC. The team brought many variations of logos for critique and to gain a better understanding of what the chair members were looking for.
HURDLES & SOLUTIONS
Once the brand system expanded beyond the logo into patterns, social posts, and headers, keeping everything visually consistent became a coordination challenge. When multiple team members are producing assets simultaneously, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent feeling. A living brand stylesheet shared with the whole team (and actually enforced) solved most of this, while also providing feedback throughout the creation process.
THE PROCESS
The project began with a discovery phase: meeting with the chair members of AIGA DEC to understand the conference's goals, audience, and tone. Those conversations shaped the design direction before a single line was drawn. From there, the team moved into the identity phase. We generated a wide range of logo sketches and initial drafts, then narrowed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders. Multiple rounds of revision brought the mark to a polished, approved final logo that could anchor the entire visual identity.
With the core identity established, the team developed the broader brand system: a set of repeatable visual patterns, a brand stylesheet documenting colors, typography, and a library of digital assets to make future design work faster and more consistent. These tools enabled the team to produce a range of deliverables (such as social media posts and website headers) that maintained cohesion across contexts.
The project is currently in its final phase: translating the identity into physical signage for the conference itself, bringing the brand from screen to space.
ASSETS IN ACTION
AIGA DESIGN EDUCATORS CONFERENCE BRANDING
FEBRUARY 2026-PRESENT
SYNOPSIS
"A throughline refers to the connections through and between segments of a design learning journey from early exposure to design, becoming a design student, working with and supporting students, transitioning to professional practice, mentoring designers, opportunities in leadership and creating intentional throughlines for others coming into the field. Across the lifespan of a designer, there are many aspects of influence through culture, beliefs and values that are integral in one’s development as a designer and lifelong learner." —AIGAeducators
THE PROBLEM
The AIGA Design Educator's Conference for 2026 had its theme and concept set, but no clear brand identity. Like their 2025 conference, a student team was curated to take on the task of branding and creating assets for the conference theme. For the first time, the AIGA Design Educator's Conference will be hosted at a community college.
MY ROLE
On the student team, my role was to facilitate the group as an art director. I distributed tasks among the team, scheduled weekly meetings, organized our created assets, and created my own assets as well.
Final name badge designs
THE BEGINNING
The first steps taken by the branding team was to meet with chair members of the AIGA DEC. The team brought many variations of logos for critique and to gain a better understanding of what the chair members were looking for.
HURDLES & SOLUTIONS
Once the brand system expanded beyond the logo into patterns, social posts, and headers, keeping everything visually consistent became a coordination challenge. When multiple team members are producing assets simultaneously, it can be difficult to maintain a consistent feeling. A living brand stylesheet shared with the whole team (and actually enforced) solved most of this, while also providing feedback throughout the creation process.
THE PROCESS
The project began with a discovery phase: meeting with the chair members of AIGA DEC to understand the conference's goals, audience, and tone. Those conversations shaped the design direction before a single line was drawn. From there, the team moved into the identity phase. We generated a wide range of logo sketches and initial drafts, then narrowed and refined based on feedback from stakeholders. Multiple rounds of revision brought the mark to a polished, approved final logo that could anchor the entire visual identity.
With the core identity established, the team developed the broader brand system: a set of repeatable visual patterns, a brand stylesheet documenting colors, typography, and a library of digital assets to make future design work faster and more consistent. These tools enabled the team to produce a range of deliverables (such as social media posts and website headers) that maintained cohesion across contexts.
The project is currently in its final phase: translating the identity into physical signage for the conference itself, bringing the brand from screen to space.