University of Gdańsk 50th Anniversary
In early 2018, I won the internal competition to present a new logo concept for the upcoming 50th Anniversary of the University of Gdańsk (UG).
Although the University of Gdańsk is relatively young compared to other universities in Gdańsk, more students from the area study there than anywhere else. The goal of the design competition was to present an attractive and fresh logo for the relatively young UG, while grounding it in long academic traditions and the more than 1,000-year history of Gdańsk.
I created the logo design, brand book system, business cards, letterhead, anniversary book covers, a lager beer project, illustrations, a 2020 calendar, apparel, leaflets and other marketing products.
The project has been successfully implemented since early 2018, and it has since been highly visible both at the University of Gdańsk and on the local streets through an extensive marketing campaign and academic events. Due to COVID-19, many celebrations and events have been postponed until 2021.
Logo redesign & Brand Identity for University of Gdańsk
Task: Logo design, brand book system, business cards, letterhead, anniversary book covers, illustrations, 2020 calendar, apparel and marketing collateral
Software: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign and Procreate
Art direction & Graphic design: Karolina Johnson
Logo development process
Logo versions and grid construction
The idea behind the logo was to create a minimalist, modern coat of arms with the University’s initials and the crown. The concept developed over time thanks to feedback from the academic community, and the final form was accepted and implemented.
The final logo consists of a coat of arms outline with a crown on top, the date of the University’s establishment (1970), the UG initials, the Gdańsk cross symbol in the middle and the 50th anniversary date (2020). An additional logo element is the typography that was added later in the process.
The basic logo consists of the sigil and the logotype (typography). The mark is a single unit and cannot be subjected to any distortions except scaling (taking the minimum size into account).
The basic logo can be used in a horizontal or vertical version. The basic color version of the logo consists of navy blue, sky blue and white.
Color scheme
Navy blue, white and sky blue are the basic identity colors for the University of Gdańsk 50th anniversary. They are used in the logotype and in promotional materials.
Amber and black are complementary colors. Black only appears as a background, never as an element within the logo. Black is used as an element of the sigil or logotype only in the monochrome version. A 50% amber tint is often used as a background in printed materials.
Colors for printing are specified in Pantone and CMYK codes. Online files are specified in RGB. There are significant color differences between the CMYK and RGB codes.
Illustrations
I was asked to create a series of vector illustrations as part of the brand identity. The illustrations were used on materials such as tote bags, apparel, notebooks, mugs and so on. One of the biggest projects was recreating the images using a vintage paper-press technique on high-quality paper. The local press studio produced over 150 framed pictures with a debossed effect.
Typography
The main typeface that reflects the idea behind the identity is the one designed by ParaType. It is a large, single-element sans-serif family. It offers both delicate variations that suit long texts and heavy weights that can be used for strong advertising communication. A license to use this typeface was officially purchased by the University. (Circe)
An alternate typeface that University staff should use in everyday communication is Trebuchet MS, which is widely available as a computer system typeface. It is meant to be used in letterheads, emails, internal communication materials and so on.
Brand Book
A brand style guide is a document that sets specific guidelines for maintaining brand identity across all external and internal communications. It focuses on the use of the logo, colors, typography and symbolism, along with examples of use on letterhead, business cards and so on.
The University of Gdańsk 50th Anniversary logo is summarized in the Brand Book linked below (Polish version).
Project Nº1 - 50th Anniversary Concert
One of the projects was to create printed materials for the University’s 50th Anniversary Concert, held on October 15, 2019 at Gdynia’s Musical Theatre. I was responsible for designing the concert program, invitations, concert tickets and a poster.
The concert was dedicated to the academic community and artistically inaugurated the 50th anniversary of the University of Gdańsk. The concert program included Polish songs from the last five decades that have accompanied students and lecturers from the founding of UG until today. The show combined music, dance and light visualizations, creating an unforgettable spectacle that depicted the history of the University of Gdańsk.
Project Nº2 - Anniversary Book Publication
One of the most significant projects on the anniversary roadmap was to design the more than 900-page-long Anniversary Book. Work on this project started over a year before its publication, when Sylwester Ciszek, a local photographer from Gdańsk, took over 400 photo portraits of 50 significant people from the University of Gdańsk - professors, PhDs, directors and University staff.
The book, published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the University of Gdańsk, is about meetings with the authors of the essays collected in it. It is also a story about the University through the prism of the people who co-create it. Everyone featured in the book shares a commitment and passion for their scientific and professional work, as well as the joy and satisfaction of being part of the academic community.
I was responsible for designing the book cover, the typography layout, the graphic elements within the book and the photo editing of the portraits.
Task: Book cover design, Typography layout design, Photo editing, Illustrations
Software: Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop & Procreate
Visual design & Illustrations: Karolina Johnson
Photography: Sylwester Ciszek
Art direction: Joanna Kamień
First concept - Custom illustration
The first book cover concept consisted of a custom illustration created in Procreate. Gdańsk, located by the seaside, is famous for its yacht and boat competitions. The idea was to present each decade as a boat leaving the port (the University) and sailing off toward the horizon. Although the concept was not accepted for further development, the illustration was still used on many occasions in printed materials such as posters and notebooks, and as a huge outdoor banner on one of the University’s buildings.
Final design - 50 portraits
The final book cover design features all 50 portraits of the authors presented in the book. The photographs were taken by talented local photographer Sylwester Ciszek. All portraits are displayed on both the front and back covers with a light blue tint filter applied to them. The design was accepted and produced at the University’s Press House.
Each article was written by one of the fifty authors, presenting their own perspective on working at the University. Each prominent quote was set within the text against a light blue background.
Book promotion Event and Exhibition
The launch of the Anniversary Book, entitled ”50 meetings for the 50th anniversary of the University of Gdańsk”, was held on September 30, 2019 at the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk.
The launch was accompanied by the opening of an exhibition of the same name, featuring all 50 photos and biographies of the authors presented in the book. I was responsible for preparing the portraits for printing and for the graphic design of the posters.