Design Students Combine the Old with the New

Twelve design students at the College of Art and Design had a busy and productive semester creating an original mark and identity extension for the school. Michael Coleman, Tony Delbuono, Raine Ferrin, Jacqueline Gold, Christine Lopez Corado, Kyle Murdough, Que Nguyen, Courtney Russo, Jake Schlehuber, Jackson Stewart, Hailey Vasas, and Renata Watson participated in a special topics course taught by Charlie Conn. The group collaborated on a visual identity for the College of Art and Design. The goal for the course was to provide students with the understanding, skills and techniques required to successfully design an extension of an already existing brand identity.

Prior to the spring semester, there was a desire from within the art and design school to create an extended identity and sub-brand under the master Lesley brand. The exploration of identity and community was fully realized when the 12 students developed and researched nearly 200 design and naming options for the college. Immense research went into the project, as students followed a multi-faceted process to obtain this brand and identity extension. Students explored the school’s previous identities and felt motivated to include elements of these into the current mark. Lesley Art + Design compiles our past identities as the School of Practical Art and The Art Institute of Boston to form a solid extension of the Lesley master brand.

Combining these distinguishable identities, students were able to create a distinctive and effective mark for the College of Art and Design. Much of the design process happened “offline,” as a great deal of research and analysis occurred prior to developing any visual designs. Students collected perceptions and expectations from the greater Lesley community and gained a greater understanding of the project’s intention and how the mark could highlight the tight knit community that has flourished over the years.

From start to finish, ideas were cultivated and dissected to reflect the research and feedback that was gathered in the initial phases of the project. By the end of the semester, a final mark by Tony Delbuono was selected by the greater Lesley community. The 12 projects show the range of style and ingenuity that the students possess. Students were able to work together and collaborate on each other’s ideas. Providing feedback and diverse visions of the brand-extension, they were all part of an effective and meaningful product.

Each preliminary sketch underwent multiple revisions, critiques and edits from everyone involved including classmates, faculty instructor, and university staff and administration. From start to finish, each student was immersed in the history of the school and was able to bring elements of that into a cohesive design. "The process taught me more about the school and its history than if I had not taken the class, and also all that is involved with creating an iconic brand,” shares Tony Delbuono ’17. Students were able to combine the many opinions and guidelines from the community to create a satisfying design for its many stakeholders. "I am happy with the results of the class and the work I put into the new sub-brand,” says Tony. "The class stretched me outside of my comfort zone to create something effective and meaningful for the client and also myself.”

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