Bethel Art Department Rebrand
The Bethel University Department of Art and Design needed a rebrand that felt true and recognizable to current students while engaging with potential students. The branding needed to be bold and bright, while offering the personality of the department on full display. The branding needed to be used on banners, merchandise, and a social media strategy. Research for the project began with interviews with art and design students as well as non-art students to understand their thoughts and feelings about the department. The interviews gave insight into the thoughts of the art department through a variety of departments and majors. The big themes that came out of the interviews were the “weird”, “quirky”, and “bold” associations within the department and with those who did not know the department well. The themes found from the interviews guided the rest of the design process. The theme of “see the world differently and show us” came out of the idea that art majors were different from other majors and often paved their own path in the world. The theme led to the illustration of many different styles of eyes, often used with bright colors, to further establish the theme. The branding was then created, with the use of different typefaces, colors, and textures to further establish the weird, quirky, and bold feelings. The branding was then applied to the deliverables.
HOW DID THESE DESIGNS COME TO BE?
Drafts were created to come up with the vibe of the designs as well as the direction of the layouts. Each draft helped inform the next better drafts until final designs were chosen.
