Project Duration

Jan 2023 - May 2024, revision Sep 2024

Class

Graphic Design Synthesis

Mentor

Doug Scott

Project Background

For Graphic Design Synthesis class at Northeastern University, we were assigned to select a UNESCO World Heritage Site and create a brand and identity system for it — I chose the Galápagos Islands.  The main challenge was to develop a cohesive brand system that maintained a consistent visual language across both print and digital formats. 

Logo Brainstorm and Ideation

I created some logo iterations that experiemented with the negative space in the type and using a mix of serifs, decorative / handdrawn type, and sans serifs. I also constructed a preliminary color palette. With some professor and peer feedback, I moved on to finalizing the system.

Applying an Expressive Brand

After refining the the color palette, balancing the form of the logo, and creating a type system, ultimately the strategy was to create a brand that reflected the playful spirit of the animals through color and photography of the animals being their expressive selves. The color palette was high contrast, with three dark colors used against a lighter eggshell white which strengthened the visual language of the island by playing with the form and shape of the volcanic rocks and animals consistantly throughout the brand. The brand uses color to represent the three kinds of tourism options for visitors, all of which sustain the islands and represent ecological areas of residence for the animals.

Brand Auditing, Initial Reseach, and Methodology

The current logo and website of the official Galapagos Islands needed a visual revamp that sharpened the logotype and brand identity while keeping its content focused on the wide variety of species that call the island home. The brand brainstorm began with creating logos and a color system fit for current digital, physical, and social applications while keeping the content emotional, spirited, and nature-focused.