Visual identity development for Opening Doors Impact Night, a charity fundraiser at The National Arts Club in NYC.
The Gateway Foundation is a (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by the Money Management Institute (MMI) with the mission of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the financial services industry.
I contributed to the foundation's inaugural Opening Doors Impact Night fundraiser at The National Arts Club in NYC by developing and executing a sub-brand for the printed signage and digital slideshows.
MMI's standard branding was a poor visual match for The National Arts Club's artsy aesthetic and refined early modern interior design. I proposed developing a unique sub-brand that would be more appropriate for the venue.
A combination of wayfinding, sponsor signage, and informational signage was needed. Additionally, two digital slideshows were needed for screens throughout the venue during the cocktail hour and the main program.
MMI's standard branding was a poor visual match for The National Arts Club's artsy aesthetic and refined early modern interior design. I proposed developing a unique sub-brand that would be more appropriate for the venue.
A combination of wayfinding, sponsor signage, and informational signage was needed. Additionally, two digital slideshows were needed for screens throughout the venue during the cocktail hour and the main program.
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I began with conceptual work—particularly mind-mapping and sketching. At the same time, I went on an "inspiration scavenger hunt" and curated a collection of interesting, conceptually relevant typefaces, colors, and imagery inspired by the venue's interior design.
Given the large amount of signage needed within a tight timeline, I focused on refining a set of simple, conceptually strong elements that could be applied in various creative ways.
For the typography, I landed on FreightBig Pro (Light, Light Italic, and Medium) by Joshua Darden at Darden Studio. The elegant, airy, yet funky and interesting face was a perfect match for both the aesthetics and meaning of the event. According to Wikipedia, "[Darden] published his first typeface at the age of 15, becoming according to Fonts In Use the first known African-American typeface designer." Since the night was celebrating and fundraising for diversity and minority representation within the financial services industry, the Freight family was a perfect choice.
I also used Sukhumvit Dot from Thai typeface designer Panuwat Usakunwathana for the event wordmark. The dots echoed the hero graphic, while the simple sans-serif construction provided a nice contrast to Freight. It was great to use a complementary face from an AAPI designer to further represent our mission of diversity and inclusion.
The hero graphic represented the concept of branching career pathways beginning from an open door. Custom art-deco style arrows helped in wayfinding and meshed well with the Club's architecture and interior design. I also chose a color palette that struck a happy medium between the lavish stylings of the Club and the brighter, more saturated colors of MMI's typical branding.
Ultimately, it was a pleasure to contribute to Gateway Foundation's inaugural Opening Doors Impact Night. It was a great night of celebrating and fundraising for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the financial services industry.
Visual identity development for Opening Doors Impact Night, a charity fundraiser at The National Arts Club in NYC.
The Gateway Foundation is a (501)(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by the Money Management Institute (MMI) with the mission of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within the financial services industry.
I contributed to the foundation's inaugural Opening Doors Impact Night fundraiser at The National Arts Club in NYC by developing and executing a sub-brand for the printed signage and digital slideshows.
MMI's standard branding was a poor visual match for The National Arts Club's artsy aesthetic and refined early modern interior design. I proposed developing a unique sub-brand that would be more appropriate for the venue.
A combination of wayfinding, sponsor signage, and informational signage was needed. Additionally, two digital slideshows were needed for screens throughout the venue during the cocktail hour and the main program.
I began with conceptual work—particularly mind-mapping and sketching. At the same time, I went on an "inspiration scavenger hunt" and curated a collection of interesting, conceptually relevant typefaces, colors, and imagery inspired by the venue's interior design.
Given the large amount of signage needed within a tight timeline, I focused on refining a set of simple, conceptually strong elements that could be applied in various creative ways.
For the typography, I landed on FreightBig Pro (Light, Light Italic, and Medium) by Joshua Darden at Darden Studio. The elegant, airy, yet funky and interesting face was a perfect match for both the aesthetics and meaning of the event. According to Wikipedia, "[Darden] published his first typeface at the age of 15, becoming according to Fonts In Use the first known African-American typeface designer." Since the night was celebrating and fundraising for diversity and minority representation within the financial services industry, the Freight family was a perfect choice.
I also used Sukhumvit Dot from Thai typeface designer Panuwat Usakunwathana for the event wordmark. The dots echoed the hero graphic, while the simple sans-serif construction provided a nice contrast to Freight. It was great to use a complementary face from an AAPI designer to further represent our mission of diversity and inclusion.
The hero graphic represented the concept of branching career pathways beginning from an open door. Custom art-deco style arrows helped in wayfinding and meshed well with the Club's architecture and interior design. I also chose a color palette that struck a happy medium between the lavish stylings of the Club and the brighter, more saturated colors of MMI's typical branding.
Ultimately, It was a pleasure to contribute to Gateway Foundation's inaugural Opening Doors Impact Night. It was a great night of celebrating and fundraising for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within the financial services industry.