Midjourney Strategic Rebrand
Media: branding, strategy, augmented reality, packaging, installation
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Keynote, Figma
Goal: make generative AI tools more approachable
Midjourney as a company has received tremendous amounts of press since their founding in 2021, however non-technical audiences could be discouraged using it based on their visual communication. I aimed to help them remain competitive with the rapidly growing AI landscape by making the brand more approachable.
Special thanks to: Gerardo Herrera and Miles Mazzie.
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Keynote, Figma
Goal: make generative AI tools more approachable
Midjourney as a company has received tremendous amounts of press since their founding in 2021, however non-technical audiences could be discouraged using it based on their visual communication. I aimed to help them remain competitive with the rapidly growing AI landscape by making the brand more approachable.
Special thanks to: Gerardo Herrera and Miles Mazzie.
The new Midjourney logo is an evolution of the previous sailboat symbol.
I was inspired by the Founder’s quotes, the mission statement, and light refraction as a metaphor for groundbreaking work they do within generative AI. The new brand colors are inspired by light refraction, symbolizing the expansive creativity possible with our products. These colors aim to connect with a broader audience across cultures, and industries.
The underlying strategy is rooted in remaining competitive with the many new generative AI companies emerging since 2021.
I was inspired by the Founder’s quotes, the mission statement, and light refraction as a metaphor for groundbreaking work they do within generative AI. The new brand colors are inspired by light refraction, symbolizing the expansive creativity possible with our products. These colors aim to connect with a broader audience across cultures, and industries.
The underlying strategy is rooted in remaining competitive with the many new generative AI companies emerging since 2021.
Though Midjourney has been a remote company, I wanted to imagine what their first HQ office space might look like. The HQ would feature a brushed stainless steel sculpture of the Midjourney sail outside.
The brand colors emerged from light refraction, symbolizing expansive creativity possible with their products.
An exhaustive identity exploration of logo refinement with paper and digital sketches.
The brand colors emerged from light refraction, symbolizing expansive creativity possible with their products.
These colors aim to connect with a broader audience across cultures, ages, and industries. The primary color palette helps Midjourney stand out from the majority of tech companies.
Logo family system expressed through all brand colors: vertical lockup, icon, wordmark.
The abstract intelligence (AI) pattern.
I also envisioned Midjourney launching a user conference called Midjourney Navigate, to be held in San Francisco.
Mark Rothko Documentary Campaign
Media: branding, posters, book design, augmented reality
Tools: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, AfterEffects, Aero
Goal: promote a documentary about the artist.
Recognition: One poster was selected for display in office of the Chair of Graphic Design at ArtCenter.
I designed a wordmark, posters, and accompanying booklet for a campaign promoting a PBS documentary about Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist. My design concept was: in memoriam.
Special thanks to: Christian Perez-Morin, Sean Adams, Michael Neal, Erin Son, Sean Shang, Brad Bartlett, and Greg Lindy of Lux Typo. Additional thanks to the National Gallery of Art for high quality images of Rothko’s artwork, and to Architectural Digest for a beautiful photo of the Rothko Chapel.
Tools: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, AfterEffects, Aero
Goal: promote a documentary about the artist.
Recognition: One poster was selected for display in office of the Chair of Graphic Design at ArtCenter.
I designed a wordmark, posters, and accompanying booklet for a campaign promoting a PBS documentary about Mark Rothko, the abstract expressionist. My design concept was: in memoriam.
Special thanks to: Christian Perez-Morin, Sean Adams, Michael Neal, Erin Son, Sean Shang, Brad Bartlett, and Greg Lindy of Lux Typo. Additional thanks to the National Gallery of Art for high quality images of Rothko’s artwork, and to Architectural Digest for a beautiful photo of the Rothko Chapel.
Depth of research and critique helped me to clarify the forms and vocabulary used throughout the project. Book colors were inspired by the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas. The non-denominational Chapel was one of Rothko’s final projects which he never saw completed before his passing.
Each chapter begins with a full spread. The chapter title is large, paired with a relevant Rothko quote on the opposite page.
I experimented with a rough augmented reality experience with Adobe Aero to view selected paintings when pointing a mobile device at the book cover.
Each chapter begins with a full spread. The chapter title is large, paired with a relevant Rothko quote on the opposite page.
- Preface — an introduction to Mark Rothko.
- Search — early explorations through his lesser known styles of art.
- Voice — a photo essay of his best known abstract works.
- Wisdom — his advice for new artists.
- Legacy — an interview with Christopher Rothko, his son, which informed my overall design direction.
- Reflection — my brief and emotional editorial capturing my thoughts as I completed the book.
I experimented with a rough augmented reality experience with Adobe Aero to view selected paintings when pointing a mobile device at the book cover.
A poster series promoting the documentary episode.
Sean Adams, the former Department Chair of Graphic Design at ArtCenter, selected one poster from the set to display in his office.
The final wordmark set on a purple inspired by the colors of Rothko’s paintings in the Rothko Chapel. The primitive forms for “Mark” tie back to the primitive emotions evoked by his work. While “Rothko” is set in all caps to symbolize the monolithic scale of his paintings.
Varying the placement of “Mark” creates a dynamic element. Conceptually, this connects back to Mark Rothko’s many years of searching before finally settling on the style of art we know him for (and his legacy) as Rothko.
Extending the identity to a booklet required a special consideration for messaging. I chose the title “Art for Mystics”, based on the following definition for mystical: inspiring a sense of spiritual mystery, awe, and fascination. This sense of awe is due partly to the scale of Rothko’s paintings.
The complete book is available for viewing above.
Colors were inspired by the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas. The non-denominational Chapel was one of Rothko’s final projects which he never saw completed.
Intro/outro: A few spreads guide the reader from from the everyday material world to that of the mystical, symbolized by a slow gray to purple gradient. The outro follows the sequence in reverse. This concept is based on an engawa, a Japanese architecture element to bridge the outside world to the home.
Recalling the definition of mysticism which inspired the publication title.
Envisioning the start of an opening title sequence for the documentary.
Screenshots of the augmented reality experience created using Adobe Aero.
My research included reading Johanna Drucker’s recently released book, Inventing the Alphabet, as I saught a deeper understanding for primitive letterforms. Conceptually, this aligned with Rothko’s ability to tap into the viewer’s primitive emotions with his artwork.
Various sketches during the wordmark design process which ultimately led to me discovering the magic of this H-K ligature to minimize visual clutter.
This was the first editorial project that I shared on LinkedIn, and the post received some unexpected praise.
Salgirah International Festival Identity
Full-color logo. The colors come from the Ismaili community’s flag, seen in the photograph of His Highness the Aga Khan (below).
This is a mini-reel of all motion graphics I worked on for #Salgirah85. These animations were used across social media, opening slates for various forms of video content for the festival, and on stage at some live events. Music was selected by The Ismaili Sounds global team.
Above is the recording of my presentation of this project (at 6:15) from the 2022 AIGA Portfolio Festival.
Here, His Highness the Aga Khan is pictured in front of the Canadian and Ismaili flags at the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, Canada.
Five Ring Motif. The motif is my take on Islamic geometric design. Initially, you see three rings of 17 diamonds. In the negative space between them, two additional rings are created for a total of five total rings of 17 (17x5 = 85). One diamond representing each year of His Highness’ life.
Initially, you see three rings of 17 diamonds. In the negative space between them, two additional rings are created for a total of five total rings of 17 (17x5 = 85). One diamond representing each year of His Highness’ life.
The three rings are inspired by the three nuktas (dots) above the first letter in the Arabic word, shukr, meaning gratitude. The rings in negative space are a reminder of the esoteric aspects of the Ismaili faith.
Additional logo variations. The system works in full color on white backgrounds, or in white on red or green backgrounds.
Brand pattern. Designed by deconstructing the motif to an individual diamond and tiling them infinitely. These forms create an interesting 2.5D illusion.
The geometry of 86 didn’t resolve so nicely as 85. The following year I got a call after the global team realized they couldn’t simply “add another diamond” for that year’s identity.
Ultimately we realized the geometry of 86+ would be problematic, and chose to pivot and build the identity around 49 (as the Aga Khan is the 49th hereditary spiritual leader in this role). We settled on a new 7 ring motif (4 visible, 3 in negative space).
Secondary lockups for years 86-89. I wanted these elements to live separately from the primary 7 ring motif as these next 4 years were “non-milestone” years. I look forward to revisiting this identity for a refresh for the Aga Khan’s 90th Salgirah!
After delivering all brand assets, social media teams in the Ismaili community launched global, national, and regional digital marketing campaigns. These assets (social media content, videos, website) were created by many talented people around the world in multiple languages. I have included them here to show the context and impact of the brand identity.
Photo backdrop in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Designed by the local team.
Retirement home celebrations in Calgary, Canada. Designed by the local team.
Wow. I didn’t even know they had access to large scale printing in the mountainous region of Hunza, Pakistan. Designed by the local team.
I never expected a logo I designed to be on a cake! (Or sherbet bottle, a milk-based drink made for special occasions). Houston, Texas, USA. Designed by the local team.
Dubai World Trade Centre. The Ismaili community in Dubai, UAE held their first in-person celebration since the COVID-19 pandemic at the Dubai WTC. Unfortunately I was not able to attend for multiple reasons, but received some photos from the local team. All assets were designed by the local team in Dubai.
Exterior signage.
Branding displayed on stage during musical performances. Designed by the local team.
Signage for Golden Members (elders in the community, 65+), and wristbands to enter the venue. Designed by the local team.
The local team in Seattle told me about their ambitious design plans for the celebration, and that I had to be there to see my design come to life at the venue. Returning to Seattle the weekend before finals in my first term... we had a lovely hometown celebration with cultural dance performances, dinner, and a live band.
Despite my intense workload for the last few days of the semester, I made a last-minute decision to take a 36-hour trip back home in secrecy. It was the first time I could physically see anything I’d designed at this scale. In my hometown no less.
The stage in Seattle, with the live band’s equipment. Beautifully assembled by the local team.
The local team surprised me with this floating sculpture of the 7 ring motif, suspended over the dance floor!
Group photo with the photo/video team.
Kitchen volunteers with branded aprons.
Family portraits in Seattle for the 87th Salgirah (December 2023).
Organization: The Ismaili Community (globally)
Media: branding, motion
Tools: Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, Photoshop
Goal: Design a unified festival identity for the global Ismaili Muslim community in 21 countries.
Salgirah is a religious festival observed by Ismaili Muslims every December. It marks the birthday of His Highness the Aga Khan, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, the spiritual leader of 15 million Ismailis worldwide. December 13, 2021, marked his 85th birthday, or Salgirah.
The brief given to me by the Ismaili global communications team was to embrace the theme of shukr (gratitude in Arabic) while conveying 85 through (Islamic) geometry. This brand identity would be used worldwide by the Ismaili community to promote a sense of unity.
This was by far the largest project I’ve worked on in terms of scale and one I will remember forever. The team only had two brief Zoom meetings over the six weeks of the project. I was impressed with our ability to collaborate across timezones through a Whatsapp group. Since this is a faith-based organization, all team members involved shared a common belief system about the festival.
One year later I was invited to refresh the identity for the Aga Khan’s 86th Salgirah festival. This became a flexible system to be used for the next three years.
The identity system was my first serious venture into Islamic design and the forms of Arabic typography. This area has become a great interest of mine since then.
Special thanks to: the dozens of volunteers who applied the identity system across many media types around the world.
Media: branding, motion
Tools: Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, Photoshop
Goal: Design a unified festival identity for the global Ismaili Muslim community in 21 countries.
Salgirah is a religious festival observed by Ismaili Muslims every December. It marks the birthday of His Highness the Aga Khan, a descendant of Prophet Muhammad, the spiritual leader of 15 million Ismailis worldwide. December 13, 2021, marked his 85th birthday, or Salgirah.
The brief given to me by the Ismaili global communications team was to embrace the theme of shukr (gratitude in Arabic) while conveying 85 through (Islamic) geometry. This brand identity would be used worldwide by the Ismaili community to promote a sense of unity.
This was by far the largest project I’ve worked on in terms of scale and one I will remember forever. The team only had two brief Zoom meetings over the six weeks of the project. I was impressed with our ability to collaborate across timezones through a Whatsapp group. Since this is a faith-based organization, all team members involved shared a common belief system about the festival.
One year later I was invited to refresh the identity for the Aga Khan’s 86th Salgirah festival. This became a flexible system to be used for the next three years.
The identity system was my first serious venture into Islamic design and the forms of Arabic typography. This area has become a great interest of mine since then.
Special thanks to: the dozens of volunteers who applied the identity system across many media types around the world.
TYPO Mexico City Conference Identity
Media: branding, posters, merchandise, augmented reality, motion
Tools: InDesign, Illustrator, Artivive, After Effects
Goal: embrace the idea of post-pandemic community building through a design conference
Recognition: selected to present this project at a Type Thursday LA meetup
Conferences are about the exchange of ideas and perspectives, design conferences should also be great fun. I chose this playful arrangement of curved organic letterforms to symbolize these concepts.
Special thanks to: River Jukes-Hudson, Cheri Gray, Shuwen Ding, and Shengjie Wu, and the great audience at Type Thursday LA for additional critique.
Tools: InDesign, Illustrator, Artivive, After Effects
Goal: embrace the idea of post-pandemic community building through a design conference
Recognition: selected to present this project at a Type Thursday LA meetup
Conferences are about the exchange of ideas and perspectives, design conferences should also be great fun. I chose this playful arrangement of curved organic letterforms to symbolize these concepts.
Special thanks to: River Jukes-Hudson, Cheri Gray, Shuwen Ding, and Shengjie Wu, and the great audience at Type Thursday LA for additional critique.
I selected a list of typographers to feature for the conference, designed a wordmark, 3' x 6' feet posters, t-shirts, name badges and restricted my color palette to black and white.
The conference venue, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, has a sharp, brutalist architectural style. My identity design embraces the human aspect of the design community as a juxtaposition.
I also designed stickers and an augmented reality motion poster with a direct call to action to register for the conference.
The conference venue, Museo Tamayo Arte Contemporáneo, has a sharp, brutalist architectural style. My identity design embraces the human aspect of the design community as a juxtaposition.
I also designed stickers and an augmented reality motion poster with a direct call to action to register for the conference.
