Sac State Identity Rebrand
Logo / Brand Guide / Welcome Packet / Zine / Website
10" x 8" printed and coild bound brand guide / 9" x 12" printed new student welcome folder and sleeve
Brand guide opened to show updated logo / new student welcome packet sleeve removed, partially open
Brand guide opened to show business system / new student welcome packet open displaying contents
Color logo / black logo
5" x 8" Printed new student welcome packet zine
Updated home landing page
Updated home landing page (full)
Updated academics landing page (full)
Updated arts landing page (full)
Updated athletics landing page (full)
An assignment from a class in my final semester, Corporate Identity and System Design, within the Sac State Design Program, I was tasked with creating a new logo/identity system with functional brand guide where we also applied our suggested system to four website landing pages (Home, Academic, Arts, and Sports, respectively). Also, one collateral item of our choice.
I chose to do a welcome folder that would arrive in the mail once a student has been accepted. This folder has a wrap that slides off and once the flap is opened and folder is unfurled contains a few stickers, bookstore coupon, welcome letter and a new student zine. This is intended to generate excitement and calm the nerves of the new student. All materials were written, designed, printed, and crafted by me as a semester-long assignment with weekly check-ins. Photography was sourced from the Sacramento State Flickr account.
The new logo I designed resembles both a tree and a leaf simultaneously, reflecting the landscape of Sacramento (The City of Trees). Trees represent enduring strength, nourishment, life, and protection – and have roots firmly planted in their community. To “turn a new leaf” or “turn a corner” are well-known idioms that are being played on here as well with the mark. Through the relationships, achievements, and experiences gained at Sacramento State their students experience significant change for the better. From the root of this mark is a launching point of positively upward moving rectangles. These rectangles can also be seen as the building blocks of our lives and community.
The Swiss typeface Helvetica was selected as a nod to the Swiss founder of Sacramento, John Sutter. It is a font that rides the line between classic and modern, conservative and edgy, or elegant and relaxed. Depending on the design elements included around it, Helvetica can be any or all of those things. It does tend to sway a bit more into the modern category, but it’s simple enough to fit in within a more traditional design.
Sacramento State is associated with the color green. It embodies the lush landscape of the campus, implies new growth, and reflects the community’s love of nature and the environment. Sacramento State’s blue reflects strength, pride, sophistication, excellence and their geopolitical distinction as California’s capital university. The combination of the green and blue colors embody the essence of Sacramento State.
