UCLA (which also happens to be my alma mater) has an enrollment of over 43,000 students, and offers one of the most diverse college environments you can find. The BRC, or Bruin Resource Center, was formed to help provide specialized support for select segments of the student population – transfer students, student military veterans, students with dependents, etc. Prior to my coming onboard for this project, these groups were highly fragmented in voice, and visual language. What little collateral was in existence was crude, mostly thrown together in Word. Logos had recently been developed by the Creative Director of UCLA, but had yet to be utilized in any significant way to represent the center. Apart from missing opportunities for raising program awareness and program synergy among students, crucial opportunities were also being missed for fundraising. Coming on as a designer and marketing consultant with The Brandery LA, starting around March of 2015, I helped correct this, honing the brand for the group, as a whole, through the formulation and design of a general brochure, and for individual programs, through the creation of leaflets highlighting their strengths and value offerings. I work closely with the director or the center and the directors of individual groups to create a collateral package that worked for all stakeholders, leaving them all highly satisfied.
Above you can see some samples of the finished products – one general brochure, and 8 program leaflets. All are rich in content, images, and statistics, and presented in a sleek and easily digestible form, that is cohesive, and compatible with the larger brand of UCLA. Early in the comping stage, I explored the idea of the octagon shape, which has become an element used throughout other UCLA branding. This evolved into a motif used throughout, hinting at a molecular form of cohesion among the groups – which do often work together and share resources. Starting with thorough descriptions provided by the program heads, I helped edit and cut down copy to refine messaging, making it more concise and maximizing the usage of space. Together, we also worked with UCLA staff photographer Don Liebig, as well as student resources, to gather quality photos that helped appropriately represent UCLA and all the programs of the BRC.