Personal Projects
A few side projects that matter for me.
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Key pillars of the University of Michigan brand could be described as: global reach, diversity, world-class prestige, undying heritage and spirit—spanning generations. It brings to mind the word "Monumental".
I imagined the iconic block "M" logo, with its powerful and simple stance, being treated as a larger-than-life monument/shape in a variety of cities, hailing the global influences of U-M beyond its main campuses.
The strong and simple lines of the block "M" logo offer a bold silhouette and structure to reinforce the U-M brand in busy environments. The impact is effective from a distance and close up—in both digital and print signage.
The logo area has ample room to hold primary content and information. It also creates negative space that can hold secondary visuals (or animation) that give context for the vicinity.
I imagined how the signature block "M" for U-M might serve as a "made by" signature. The result is an understated and elegant tab with the tagline "Made in Michigan", alluding to U-M as a place where the world's best gather to make themselves—and the world—better. The tagline also hails to the industrial heritage inherent to Michigan, the university's home state.
*Note: Photographs are property of University of Michigan Photography.
As a form factor, rectangles are time-tested and proven by generations of interactive wisdom. Circular devices can seem alluring but, ultimately are often impractical and overly-symetric for intuitive usage (à la the 1998 puck-shaped iMac mouse). I still couldn't resist this conceptual exercise, despite the true challenge of conceiving an effective UI for a polar-coordinate based view.