Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Figma
ScottyLabs, a student organization at
Carnegie Mellon University devoted to
helping students learn about and explore
interesting topics in technology through
events and workshops.
Role:
Designer
2 weeks
Duration:
Tools:
For:
With:
ScottyLab's Branding Team
NOVA is a an annual hackathon Scottylabs holds for CMU
participants to create and innovate in a playground of
generative technology. With tools like GPT, MidJourney,
and Eleventlabs, participants can freely experiment and
bring their ideas to life.
Overview:
what is Nova?
Identity Design
My Role:
With limited initial context, we had the creative freedom to explore various directions and assets, enabling me to contribute across multiple aspects of the project. From designing the brand identity to building an engaging website, this project allowed us to collaborate and create several different versions over the course of just a few days.
A quick thank you for this year's sponsors:
Problem Space
How do you develop a hackathon's design system from scratch?
Creative direction
Context:
This year's event uses the metaphor of a playground to relay ideas of freedom,
creativity, and collaboration—all fundamental to innovation. To further iterate
the idea, we used building blocks to be our main visual asset, its modular and
simple shapes allow participants to create something complex and unique.
The colorway also explores the idea of new possibilities: the magenta, blue,
and green further emphasizes the event's whimsy and allure.
Deliverables
What assets were developed to create Nova's design system?
Artifact 01.
Posters
Through multiple iterations and ideations
we were able to create two major posters
that later informed the rest of the system.
The posters are 11x17 inch informational
posters that were to inform students
around campus of the event. By focusing on
clear visual hierarchy, engaging typography,
and a vibrant color scheme, the posters not
only served as standalone pieces but also
set the tone for the entire communication
strategy. The system is crucial to convey
the event's unique theme and goals.
The iterative process allowed us to test
various design approaches, ensuring that
the final output was both visually appealing
and highly functional. The posters became
the anchor for the system, reflecting the
event's essence while fostering excitement
and engagement among the audience.
Designed Instagram posts and animations inspired by the NOVA posters, maintaining the vibrant color scheme, clear hierarchy, and engaging typography to capture the event's energy and vision. These designs helped bring the event's theme to life on social media, engaging the CMU community and driving excitement.
MARKETING
Artifact 02:
Artifact 03.
Website
Designed and developed the NOVA
website, aligning with the event's
visual identity and goals. Using a
cohesive color scheme, clear
typography, and intuitive layout,
the website served as a central
hub for event details and registration,
providing a seamless and engaging
user experience for participants.
Reflections
What did I learn from this opportunity?
First, when working on a project of this scale (a very anticipated event), I should be prepared for lots of pivots. Aligning so many people on a team to the same page will rarely happen. Second, never expect your final designs to translate perfectly to cone. Especially when working different deliverables, each designer would have their own vision of how to create assets or system. COmmunication is incredibly important, and with having a tight deadline, it was something that brought us to a successful event.
Expect the unexpected
Insight: