04 / Brand identity · Apr—Sep 2025

San Diego
Design Week

A winning sub-brand transformed into a live identity system for San Diego's regional design festival.

Role: Brand & visual designer
Scope: Motion, graphics, UI/UX, web, social & awards
Recognition: 2025 Brand Design Challenge Winner

San Diego Design Week event team with the event banner

The brief

Make impact
feel visible.

Design Forward Alliance asked student designers to create a distinct but cohesive SDDW 2025 sub-brand for the theme “Design for Impact.” The identity needed to complement the master brand, tell a clear story, and adapt from a website header and banner ad to event flyers, merchandise, and print.

The winning direction

Built for motion.
Ready for production.

The cropped “D” became a repeatable visual cue for movement and connection. Bold type, flowing paths, and a warm-to-cool palette gave the system range while a dark navy anchor kept schedules and information grounded. After the concept won, I developed it into a production system with professional mentorship.

From concept to rollout

One system.
60+ expressions.

I translated the identity into more than 60 visuals across motion graphics, social campaigns, web and UI/UX design, physical signage, sponsor communications, merchandise, and award graphics. Instead of forcing every asset into one template, the system used a flexible kit of recognizable parts so each message could lead with what its audience needed.