The stakes are high for designs at a public institution. A recent example is my design to promote nominations for the Bronx Community College Distinguished Alumni Awards. Posted on social media and the college website, my design presents an identity for the college to a wide range of stakeholders.
I inherited the laurel wreath logo, shown below.
I revamped it slightly to create contrast that directs the eye to move through it. That involved unbolding most of the type and adding what resembles gold leaf behind the green. These were slight improvements that add contrast and depth, but don’t break the established brand. A riskier change was updating the font to match the brand guidelines of the college.
This is the first version of the design, with the updated logo:
The gold foil along the bottom is meant to strengthen the sense of honor of the award. The Call for Nominations text in Rubik small caps and wide letter spacing contrasts nicely against the font in the logo.
That first version featured a photo of the historic Gould Memorial Library at the college. However, people in charge wanted to use a wireframe. Again I gave a hint of depth, this time by adding a light shadow to the wireframe.
The final design is shown below.
The larger initial caps for “Call for Nominations” in my first version was inconsistent with the other type in the design, so I eliminated that.
I was also directed to add the logo for the BCC College Foundation. This logo has a strong left edge, but I centered it because that’s the approach for the entire design and centering, while overused, tends to be the appropriate choice to signify formality.
Finally, on Instagram the design is paired with music called Superhero Origin Story, which has a cinematic sound and is appropriate for recognizing real-world heroes.
There were a lot of compromises, but understanding design principles, knowing the college’s brand guide, and communicating makes success possible.
A Word about Copy
For events that I have no background in, generative AI is great for a first pass. I have provided guidance about the institutional voice for each platform, and the hashtags and account mentions we use.
But of course I intervene: eliminating triads (like this human-written sentence), reordering for chronology or logic, and removing the extra restatements of the point that is common in the current generative AI models that I use.
Below is the main body of copy I posted to LinkedIn:
CUNY Bronx Community College is now accepting nominations for the 2027 Distinguished Alumni Award!
This award honors BCC alumni whose achievements, leadership, and service reflect the excellence of the College, inspiring our students and community. Recipients are recognized as role models, with portraits displayed in North Hall and the Library.
Faculty, staff, alumni, and retirees are encouraged to nominate individuals who demonstrate lasting impact and integrity.
Eligible nominees must be BCC alumni (graduated or completed 30+ credits at least 10 years ago) and able to attend the induction ceremony.
Tools
Adobe Express, MS Copilot